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https://archive.org/details/bethlehernbachcho00walt_0 


. 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 

AN  HISTORICAL 
AND  INTERPRETATIVE  SKETCH 


' 


♦ 


I 


JOHANN  SEBASTIAN  BACH 

From  an  engraving  by  F.  A.  Andorff  after  the  portrait  by  C.  Jager 


THE  BETHLEHEM 
BACH  CHOIR 


AN  HISTORICAL 
AND  INTERPRETATIVE  SKETCH 

BY 

RAYMOND  WALTERS 

REGISTRAR  AND  ASSISTANT  PROFESSOR  OF  ENGLISH 
LEHIGH  UNIVERSITY 


BOSTON  AND  NEW  YORK 

HOUGHTON  MIFFLIN  COMPANY 

1918 


COPYRIGHT,  1918,  BY  RAYMOND  WALTERS 
ALL  RIGHTS  RESERVED 


Published  April  it)  18 


PREFACE 


“  It  is  to  be  said  at  the  outset  that  this  book  is  not 
the  work  of  a  musical  critic,  but  of  an  editor  and 
annalist.” 

By  permission  of  my  fellow-alumnus  of  Lehigh 
University,  Dr.  M.  A.  DeWolfe  Howe,  this  state¬ 
ment  is  borrowed  from  his  historical  sketch  of 
the  Boston  Symphony  Orchestra ,  an  admirable  book 
to  which  the  present  volume  owes  much  in  other 
respects  than  this  prefatory  quotation. 

This  is  an  account  of  a  choir  that  has  gained 
distinction  in  American  musical  life.  The  ex¬ 
ceptional  historical  background  the  Choir  has  had 
—  with  all  that  this  means  in  inspiration  and 
stimulus  —  is  outlined.  But  there  has  been  no 
minimizing  of  the  early  and  present  difficulties  in 
maintaining  the  Bach  Festivals.  These  singers 
of  Bethlehem  are  not  set  apart  by  reason  of  talent 
or  tradition  or  fortune.  They  are  plain  American 
citizens  who  have  followed  a  leader  in  doing 
a  work  supremely  worth  while.  Their  success 
should  be  an  encouragement  to  community 


v 


PREFACE 


choruses  in  other  parts  of  the  country  because 
they  have  succeeded  by  qualities  that  all  may  emu¬ 
late —  devotion  and  concentration.  Their  recipe 
has  been  that  which  Bach  himself  gave  when 
asked  how  he  had  brought  his  art  to  such  per¬ 
fection  :  “  I  have  had  to  work  hard  ;  any  one  who 
will  work  equally  hard  will  be  able  to  do  as 
much.” 

For  the  preparation  of  the  lists  in  the  appen¬ 
dices  of  this  book  credit  is  due  to  Mrs.  George 
W.  Halliwell,  Membership  Secretary  of  the  Bach 
Choir. 


Raymond  Walters 


CONTENTS 


I.  From  Pioneer  Days  to  the  Era  of  Steel  .  .  3 

II.  The  Beginnings  of  Bach  Singing  in  Bethlehem  36 

III.  The  Bach  Festivals,  1900-1905  ....  49 

IV.  The  Festivals  at  Lehigh  University  ...  90 

V.  The  Bethlehem  Bach  Choir  in  New  York  .  150 

VI.  Dr.  J.  Fred  Wolle,  Conductor  of  the  Bach 

Choir . 171 

VII.  Mr.  Charles  M.  Schwab  and  the  Bach  Choir  188 

VIII.  The  Executive  Committee  of  the  Choir  .  .  202 

IX.  A  Community  Enterprise . 219 

X.  A  Musical  Force . 234 

Appendix 

A.  The  Singers  of  the  Choir  ....  245 

B.  The  Works  rendered  and  the  Soloists  265 


C.  The  Moravian  Trombone  Choir  .  .  .  275 

D.  The  Orchestra . 277 

E.  Officers  and  Committees  ....  281 

Index . 283 


- 

ILLUSTRATIONS 


Johann  Sebastian  Bach,  1685-1750  ( photogravure ) 

Frontispiece 

From  an  engraving  by  F.  A.  Andorff  after  the  portrait 
by  C.  Jager 

Facsimile  of  the  1811  Bethlehem  Score  of  Haydn’s 

“Creation” . 18 

Photograph  by  Conradi 

The  Moravian  Church,  Bethlehem.  View  from 
Cedar  Square  and  Christmas  Decorations  in 

Chancel . 22 

Photographs  by  H.  B.  Eggert 

The  Bethlehem  Bach  Choir  of  1903  at  the  Mora¬ 
vian  Church . 68 

Photograph  by  Flickinger 

The  Moravian  Seminary  and  College  for  Women. 
Colonial  Hall  and  College  Hall  and  the  Chapel, 
Rehearsal  Home  of  the  Bach  Choir  ....  94 

Photographs  by  Conradi 

Packer  Memorial  Church,  Lehigh  University, 

Home  of  the  Bach  Festivals . 104 

Photograph  by  the  Albertype  Company 

The  Bach  Choir  of  1914  at  Lehigh  University  .  .112 

Photograph  by  Flickinger 

The  Bach  Choir  of  1916  on  the  Lehigh  University 

Campus . 124 

Photograph  by  Thompson 

Singing  the  B  Minor  Mass  at  the  1917  Bach  Fes¬ 
tival  . 136 

Photograph  by  the  Philadelphia  Evening  Ledger 


IX 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Members  of  the  Choir  at  the  New  York  Residence 
of  Mr.  Schwab,  January  26,  1918,  preceding  the 
Concert  with  the  New  York  Philharmonic  Or¬ 
chestra  . 160 

Photograph  by  Charles  F.  Allen 

Festival  Views  at  Lehigh  —  The  Moravian  Trom¬ 
bone  Choir  and  Visitors  Listening  to  Trombone 


Chorales . 164 

Photographs  by  the  Musical  Courier  and  Musical  America 

Dr.  J.  Fred  Wolle,  Founder  and  Conductor  of  the 
Bethlehem  Bach  Choir . 172 


Photograph  by  Flickinger 

Mr.  Charles  M.  Schwab,  Main  Guarantor  of  the 

Bethlehem  Bach  Choir . 188 

Photograph  by  C.  M.  Hayes 

Dr.  Henry  S.  Drinker,  President . 208 

Photograph  by  McCaa 

Mr.  Albert  N.  Cleaver,  Treasurer  ....  208 

Photograph  by  Pirie  MacDonald 

Mr.  Warren  A.  Wilbur,  Executive  Committee  .  .  210 

Photograph  by  McCaa 

Mr.  T.  Edgar  Shields,  Organist  and  Executive 

Committee  . 210 

Photograph  by  McCaa 

Dr.  John  H.  Clewell,  Executive  Committee  .  .  210 

Photograph  by  Flickinger 

Mr.  George  R.  Booth,  Vice-President  ....  210 

Photograph  by  Flickinger 

Mr.  F.  G.  Hoch,  Executive  Committee  ....  212 

Photograph  by  McCaa 

Mr.  Henry  S.  Snyder,  Executive  Committee  .  .212 

Photograph  by  Gessford 

Mr.  M.  J.  Shimer,  Executive  Committee  .  .  .  212 

Photograph  by  McCaa 


X 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Dr.  William  L.  Estes,  Sr.,  Executive  Committee 

Photograph  by  Flickinger 

Dr.  J.  W.  Richards,  Executive  Committee  . 

Photograph  by  Flickinger 

Mr.  A.  C.  Huff,  Executive  Committee  . 

Photograph  by  Flickinger 

Mr.  Raymond  Walters,  Executive  Committee  . 
Photograph  by  Pirie  MacDonald 

Dr.  N.  M.  Emery,  Executive  Committee 

Photograph  by  McCaa 


.  212 

.  214 
.  214 
.  214 
.  214 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


THE  BETHLEHEM 
BACH  CHOIR 


I 


FROM  PIONEER  DAYS  TO  THE  ERA  OF  STEEL 
N  June  i  and  2,  1917,  the  Bethlehem  Bach 


Choir  gave  the  twelfth  Bach  Festival  in 
Packer  Memorial  Church,  Lehigh  University, 
Bethlehem.  It  is  almost  startling  to  consider  that 


exactly  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  years  before, 


there  took  place  in  this  community  in  eastern 
Pennsylvania,  now  world-renowned  for  its  Beth¬ 
lehem  steel  plant,  a  Singstunde ,  or  service  of  song, 
which  combined  music  and  devotion  as  do  the 
present  Bach  Festivals. 

Out  of  the  yellow,  hand-written  pages  of  the 
“Bethlehem  Diary  ”  for  June,  1742,  treasured  in 
the  archives  of  the  Moravian  Church,  there  rises, 
as  one  reads  the  lines  and  between  them,  a  visu¬ 
alization  of  the  community’s  forefathers  assembled 
for  this  musical  service  —  the  ancestors  in  spirit, 


3 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 

if  not  in  blood,  of  the  Bach  singers  of  to-day.  Il¬ 
lustrative  of  the  manner  of  men  and  women  they 
were,  are  the  gilt-framed  portraits  that  surmount 
the  bookshelves  of  the  archives  —  paintings  of 
clean-shaven,  earnest-eyed  brethren  and  of  prim, 
devout  sisters  wearing  the  inevitable  Schneppel- 
Hauben ,  close-fitting  caps  against  which  Moravian 
femininity  in  1815  waged  successful  rebellion. 
These  portraits  help  to  humanize  the  “  Diary  ”  ac¬ 
count  of  that  notable  Singstunde  of  1742.  There 
were  eighty  present  to  join  in  the  singing  under 
Count  Zinzendorf,  their  gallant,  fervent  leader. 
They  had  just  formed  the  first  organization  of  the 
little  settlement,  and  it  was  characteristic  of  them 
to  have  a  service  of  praise  and  prayer  and  to  sing 
both  praise  and  prayer.  “Singstunde”  is  a  word 
that  dots  the  leaves  of  the  “Bethlehem  Diary.” 

A  unique  page  in  American  musical  history  is 
furnished  in  annals  that  begin  with  this  Sing¬ 
stunde  of  1742  and  come  down  to  the  Bach  Festi¬ 
vals  of  to-day.  In  point  of  time  and  in  measure 
of  achievement,  Bethlehem  has  had  a  remarkable 
record  in  music. 

It  was  a  portent  that  the  very  name  of  the 


4 


FROM  PIONEER  DAYS 

community  should  be  due  to  music.  When,  on 
Christmas  Eve  of  the  year  preceding  the  1742 
Singstunde,  Count  Zinzendorf  and  his  company 
assembled  with  the  settlers  in  the  first-built  log 
house,  the  Count  led  in  singing  the  Epiphany 
hymn  which  includes  the  words:  — 

“Not  Jerusalem, 

Rather  Bethlehem, 

Gave  us  that  which 
Maketh  life  rich, — 

Not  Jerusalem.” 

As  Bishop  Levering,  the  historian  and  transla¬ 
tor  of  the  hymn,  expressed  it,  these  lines  “came 
to  the  minds  of  the  settlers,  and  by  general  con¬ 
sent  the  name  of  the  ancient  town  of  David  was 
adopted.” 

The  pioneers  were  descendants  of  the  Unitas 
Fratrum  of  Moravia  and  Bohemia,  a  sect  which 
maintains  thehonor  of  having  published,  in  1  505, 
the  first  hymn-book  among  Protestant  churches. 
In  the  liturgy  of  the  Moravian  Church  music  had 
an  important  place.  There  was  always  insistence 
upon  high  standards  in  the  Collegium  Musicum,  or 
musical  guild,  of  the  Brethren  in  the  Old  World 
and  in  the  New. 


5 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


The  early  Puritans  of  New  England  restricted 
music  to  psalmody,  abhorring  instruments  of  ac¬ 
companiment.  Different  was  the  attitude  of  the 
Moravians  of  Pennsylvania.  The  “Church  Me¬ 
morials  ”  of  the  earliest  years  in  Bethlehem  indi¬ 
cate  steady  use  of  the  musical  instruments  that 
had  been  brought  to  America  by  members  of  the 
First  Sea  Congregation  in  1742.  On  Christmas 
Day,  1743,  the  instruments,  “  played  for  the  first 
time  in  the  house  of  God,”  included  the  violin, 
viola  da  braccio,  viola  da  gamba,  flutes,  and  French 
horns.  The  “  Memorials  ”  of  1 746  tell  also  how,  at 
the  burial  of  John  Tschoop,  first  Indian  convert 
of  the  Moravians,  the  “  remains  were  conveyed  to 
the  graveyard  amid  the  strains  of  solemn  music.” 

Further  facts  about  early  employment  of  mu¬ 
sical  instruments  are  furnished  in  the  “Bethlehem 
Diary.”  The  first  spinet  arrived  from  London  on 
January  25,  1744.  The  “Diary”  for  that  date, 
freely  translated,  reads:  “The  choir  sang  a  little. 

.  .  .  This  evening  a  wagon  came  from  [New] 
Brunswick  with  the  spinet  which  Brother  Nolden 
[Knolton]  had  sent  the  congregation  from  Lon¬ 
don.  We  rejoiced  over  it  and  made  preparations 

6 


FROM  PIONEER  DAYS 

immediately  to  put  it  in  order;  and  although 
very  dilapidated  we  could  use  it  the  next  day  in 
the  congregation  to  the  praise  of  the  Lamb.”  In 
1746  the  spinet  gave  place  to  a  small  organ  (Or- 
gel  Positiv )  brought  from  Philadelphia  and  set  up 
by  J.  G.  Klemm,  a  Moravian  organ-builder.  A 
large  organ  was  installed  when  the  present  “  Old 
Chapel”  was  erected  in  1751.  Trombones  were 
brought  to  Bethlehem  from  Europe  in  1754. 
They  were  thereafter  used  at  the  sunrise  Easter 
service  in  the  cemetery,  a  service  first  held  in 
April,  1744.  In  all  the  years  since,  in  the  sad¬ 
ness  of  death  and  in  the  joy  of  festal  days,  the 
trombone  choir  has  had  a  peculiar  place  in  Mo¬ 
ravian  life.  The  passing  away  of  members  of  the 
congregation  and  the  hours  of  “  love  feasts”  and 
Holy  Communion  are  announced  by  the  playing 
-of  trombones.  Tradition  has  it  that  such  music 
once  saved  the  town  and  its  inhabitants.  From 
their  forest  hiding-places  Indians  who  had  planned 
an  attack  one  night  in  1755  heard  chorales  played 
by  the  trombone  choir  and  stole  away,  declaring 
that  the  Great  Spirit  surely  guarded  the  white 
settlers. 

7 


4 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


One  curious  form  of  early  church  music  in 
Bethlehem  was  polyglot  singing,  a  practice  fol¬ 
lowed  among  the  Brethren  in  Europe.  The 
“Diary,”  dated  September  14, 1745,  records  that, 
at  a  love  feast,  the  tune  of  “In  Dulce  Jubilo” 
was  sung  in  thirteen  languages,  to  the  accom¬ 
paniment  of  wind  and  string  instruments.  These 
included  languages  of  Europe  familiar  to  the  wor¬ 
shipers  and  various  Indian  dialects  contributed  by 
redskin  converts.  Such  a  service  formed  a  striking 
token  of  the  missionary  spirit  of  a  people  whose 
activity  in  spreading  the  Gospel  has,  from  earliest 
days  to  the  present,  been  exceptional. 

It  was,  as  has  been  said,  characteristic  of  the 
Moravians  to  sing  their  praise  and  prayer.  Like¬ 
wise  it  was  characteristic  that  they  taught  singing 
to  the  Indians  from  the  Shekomeko  and  other 
missions  who  were  housed  in  cottages  on  the  hill¬ 
side  below  the  town.  From  these  cottages  —  the 
“Tents  of  Peace”  they  were  called — the  Brethren 
above  could  hear  the  “songs  of  Zion,”  chanted 
in  the  Mohican  tongue  at  the  morning  and  even¬ 
ing  missionary  services. 

The  first  formal  musical  organization  was  the 

8 


FROM  PIONEER  DAYS 


Bethlehem  Collegium  Musicum,  a  small  body  of 

t 

“both  vocalists  and  instrumentalists”  who  began 
their  work,  according  to  Bishop  Levering,  on 
December  13,  1744.  Singers  and  players  were 
drilled  by  the  Reverend  J.  C.  Pyrlaeus,  a  “scholar, 
musician,  Indian  linguist  and  missionary.”  When 
Pyrlaeus  was  transferred  to  Gnadenhuetten  the 
instruction  was  given  by  J.  E.  Westmann,  “who 
devoted  one.hour  each  evening  to  the  task.”  The 
record  of  a  meeting  of  the  Collegium  Musicum 
on  January  14,  1748,  shows  that  there  were  then 
fourteen  members  in  the  orchestra.  Testimony 
is  forthcoming  from  a  high  source  as  to  the  pro¬ 
ficiency  of  this  orchestra  in  succeeding  years. 
Benjamin  Franklin,  who  is  accounted  in  Arm¬ 
strong’s  “  Record  of  the  Opera  ”  as  being  one  of  the 
earliest  amateur  musicians  of  Philadelphia,  told 
in  his  “Autobiography”  of  a  visit  to  Bethlehem  in 
1 756  when  he  “  was  entertained  with  good  music, 
the  organ  being  accompanied  with  violins,  haut¬ 
boys,  flutes,  clarinets,  etc.”  “Heard  very  fine  music 
in  the  church,”  was  his  comment  in  a  letter  to 
his  wife. 

It  is  not  wise,  of  course,  to  put  too  much  stress 

9 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


upon  this  praise  from  Franklin,  to  idealize  the 
stonemasons,  carpenters,  farmers,  and  others  who 
played  and  sang,  as  being  musical  artists.  But 
there  is  certainly  no  exaggeration  in  crediting  the 
real  amateur  spirit  to  men  who,  on  the  way  to  the 
harvest  fields,  along  with  their  sickles  and  scythes, 
carried  flutes,  French  horns,  and  cymbals.  To  the 
early  Moravians  music  was  a  heritage  and  a  bond ; 
and  their  love  for  it  was  intensified  by  the  loneli¬ 
ness  of  the  forest-girt  settlement  that  made  prac¬ 
tice  of  this  art  a  solace  and  a  recreation. 

The  attitude  of  the  Moravians,  and  in  particu¬ 
lar  of  their  clergy,  was  in  contrast  with  the  hos¬ 
tility  to  music  of  other  sects  and  sections.  “  The 
Puritans  prohibited  instrumental  music  from  pub¬ 
lic  and  private  worship,”  Dr.  F.  L.  Ritter  re¬ 
corded  in  his  “Music  in  America.”  As  Mr.  Philip 
H.  Goepp  has  made  plain  in  “Annals  of  Music 
in  Philadelphia,”  the  Friends  were,  in  the  mat¬ 
ter  of  music,  most  unfriendly.  “  The  stolid  Dutch 
burghers,  even  when  well-to-do,  cared  little  for 
‘concourse  of  sweet  sounds,’”  wrote  Mr.  H.  E. 
Krehbiel  concerning  early  New  York,  in  “Notes 
on  the  Cultivation  of  Choral  Music.”  Now, 

io 


FROM  PIONEER  DAYS 


among  the  Moravians  in  Bethlehem  music  as  a 
recreation  and  an  art  held  the  cordial  sanction  of 
the  Church.  Bishops  and  others  of  the  clergy  had 
desks  with  the  laymen  in  the  concert  room.  It  is 
hardly  to  be  questioned  that  this  approval  from 
the  spiritual  and  material  leaders  of  the  church 
community  was  a  factor  in  developing  Bethlehem 
to  the  musical  stature  it  early  attained. 

Significant  of  the  importance  the  Moravians 
attached  to  music  was  the  prominence  it  had  in 
programmes  when  distinguished  visitors  were 
present.  The  entertainment  for  Governor  Ham¬ 
ilton  on  July  13,  1752,  included  selections  in  the 
church  on  the  organ  and  on  wind  and  stringed 
instruments,  and  also  orchestral  music  during 
luncheon. 

“The  Choir  rendered  some  fine  music,”  it  is 
recorded  in  the  “Diary”  of  1782,  at  a  service  on 
the  evening  of  July  25,  when,  “quite  unexpect¬ 
edly  and  very  quietly,  His  Excellency,  General 
Washington,  arrived  here,  accompanied  by  two 
aides-de-camp,  but  without  escort.”  General 
Washington  heard  organ  selections  and  was  ten¬ 
dered  a  serenade  by  the  trombone  choir.  Martha 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


Washington,  on  her  way  to  Virginia  in  June,  1779, 
attended  an  evening  service  in  Bethlehem  and 
enjoyed  the  music  of  choir  and  orchestra. 

In  an  account  of  his  travels  in  North  America, 
1780-82,  Marquis  de  Chastellux,  who  came  to 
America  with  the  French  under  Rochambeau, 
referred  to  the  organ-playing  of  Jacob  Van  Vleck 
at  Bethlehem.  The  Marquis  told  how  Van  Vleck, 
who  was  Superintendent  of  the  Brethren's  House, 
performing  on  the  instrument  in  that  house,  played 
“some  voluntaries  in  which  he  introduced  a  great 
deal  of  harmony  and  progressions  of  bass."  Van 
Vleck  was  not  only  an  organist,  but  a  composer. 
Other  early  composers  of  Bethlehem  were  George 
Neisser,  the  first  schoolmaster  and  diarist,  who 
wrote  verses  and  set  them  to  music,  and  C.  F. 
Oerter,  who  arranged  cantatas. 

Every  effort  was  made  to  cultivate  musical 
talent  among  the  children.  There  was  usually 
no  charge  for  the  instruction  given  the  girls  of 
the  community  at  the  Boarding-School  and  the 
Sister’s  House,  and  to  the  boys  at  the  Single 
Brethren’s  House. 

It  is  recorded  that,  on  November  1,  1 756,  at 


12 


FROM  PIONEER  DAYS 


an  assemblage  of  one  hundred  and  ninety-nine 
boys  and  girls  for  examination  in  spelling,  read¬ 
ing,  and  arithmetic,  there  was  a  programme  of 
vocal  and  instrumental  music  by  the  classes  under 
the  direction  of  John  Andrew  Albrecht,  the  prin¬ 
cipal  teacher  of  music.  When  the  boys’  school 
was  transferred  to  Nazareth  Hall,  at  Nazareth, 
in  June,  1759,  an  orchestra  of  boys  under  Al¬ 
brecht  played  at  the  head  of  the  procession  that 
marched  toward  the  Nazareth  road. 

Bethlehem  then  became  the  seat  of  the  Mo¬ 
ravian  Boarding-School  for  girls,  —  the  first  such 
school  in  America,  —  from  which  developed  the 
Moravian  Seminary  and  College  for  Women, 
where  the  Bach  Choir  now  holds  its  fall  and 
winter  rehearsals. 

H  ow  music,  both  for  devotion  and  pleasure, 
played  its  part  in  the  life  of  the  pupils  in  the 
Boarding-School  of  the  earliest  period  is  revealed 
in  letters  and  diaries.  Two  letters  of  exceptional 
interest  in  this  respect  have  recently  been  brought 
to  light.  Written  by  a  girl  of  twelve  years  in  the 
School  at  Bethlehem  to  her  brother  who  was  at¬ 
tending  an  academy  in  Connecticut,  they  were 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


printed  in  former  New  England  publications 
which  gave  editorial  introductions  to  them.  The 
first  letter,  dated  August  16,  1787,  appeared  in 
the  “  New  Haven  Gazette  and  Connecticut 
Magazine,”  from  which  it  was  copied  in  the 
“  American  Magazine”  (edited  by  Noah  Web¬ 
ster),  and  was  translated  into  German  in  the 
“Philadelphia  Correspondenz  ”  :  — 

There  are  about  thirty  little  girls  of  my  age.  Here 
I  am  taught  music  both  vocal  and  instrumental.  I  play 
the  guitar  twice  a  day ;  am  taught  the  spinet  and  forte- 
piano,  and  sometimes  I  play  the  organ. 

The  young  correspondent  outlined  her  studies 
and  instruction  in  “  needlework,  tambour,  draw¬ 
ing,  music,  etc.,  till  three,  when  school  is  out.” 
In  telling  her  brother  of  the  church  services  of 
the  Moravians  she  wrote  :  — 

They  sing  enchantingly,  in  which  they  are  joined 
with  the  bass-viols,  violins  and  an  organ.  To  call  the 
people  into  the  chapel  four  French  horns  are  blown, 
with  which  you  would  be  delighted.  .  .  .  After  we  are  in 
bed,  one  of  the  ladies,  with  her  guitar  and  voice,  sere¬ 
nades  us  to  sleep. 

The  Moravian  Christmas  celebration  of  1787 
was  described  in  a  second  letter  (manifestly  writ- 


FROM  PIONEER  DAYS 

ten  by  this  same  girl)  printed  in  the  August, 
1787,  number  of  the  “  American  Magazine,” 
and  copied  in  the  “New  Haven  Gazette  and  the 
Connecticut  Magazine”:  — 

We  began  with  music.  There  were  four  violins,  two 
flutes,  and  two  horns,  with  the  organ  ;  which  altogether 
sounded  delightfully.  The  children  sang  one  German 
and  eight  English  verses.  .  .  .  Many  of  the  neighboring 
inhabitants  came  to  visit  us  and  behold  this  scene  of 
joy,  a  representation  of  the  Nativity.  We  entertained 
them  with  music. 

A  “Journal  of  Daily  Events”  was  kept  by 
some  of  the  younger  girls  of  the  School.  This 
is  an  entry  in  1788  :  — 

July  10.  —  Mr.  Grube  being  from  home,  we  had  no 
singing  school.  During  the  hour  Sister  Sulamith  enter¬ 
tained  us  sweetly  with  her  guitar.  The  new  spinet  ar¬ 
rived  from  Philadelphia  and  misses  from  the  first  and 
second  rooms  went  to  Mr.  Huebner’s  to  hear  it. 

One  of  the  girls  began  as  follows  her  account 
of  “  a  day  set  apart  in  the  Brethren’s  Church  for 
the  religious  improvement  of  children  ”  :  — 

August  17.  —  Early  in  the  morning  we  were  awakened 
by  the  sound  of  the  guitar,  accompanied  by  the  voices 
of  our  tutoresses  singing  congratulatory  hymns  on  the 
dawn  of  this  festive  day.  At  six  the  trombones  from 


15 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


the  balcony  of  the  Brethren’s  House  proclaimed  our 
festival.  At  seven  we  assembled  in  the  hall  for  morn¬ 
ing  prayer. 

The  records  for  1792  show  a  charge  of  “£7  10 s. 
for  repairing  and  tuning  the  seven  pianos  and  clavi¬ 
chords  in  the  Boarding-School.”  An  invoice  of 
music  imported  from  Holland  in  this  same  year 
included,  as  the  “History  of  the  Moravian  Semi¬ 
nary  ”  lists  it  — 

7  sonatas  by  Haydn,  pour  le  clavecin. 

14  variations  by  Vanhal,  pour  le  clavecin. 

6  sonatas  by  Hoffmeister,  pour  le  clavecin. 

Concerto  by  Hoffmeister,  pour  le  clavecin. 

Concerto  a  quatre  mains,  by  Giordani. 

Haydn’s  sonatas  a  quatre  mains. 

The  Bethlehem  records  for  this  period  illustrate 
what  Mr.  Krehbiel  once  set  forth  in  his  “Musical 
Comment”  in  the  “New  York  Tribune  ”  :  — 

If  America  had  been  settled  by  barbarians  our  first 
music  would  have  been  barbarous.  But  the  first  settlers 
were  not  barbarians  and  consequently  music  came  to 
every  part  of  the  country  in  precisely  the  same  state  as 
that  which  prevailed  in  the  foreign  communities  from 
which  the  various  sections  were  populated. 

The  Brethren  in  Bethlehem  kept  in  touch 
with  musical  progress  abroad,  obtaining  new  in- 

16 


FROM  PIONEER  DAYS 

struments  as  they  were  introduced  there  and  like¬ 
wise  new  scores. 

All  of  the  instruments  used  in  European  orches¬ 
tras  of  the  period  were  included  in  an  orchestra 
in  Bethlehem  in  1789,  of  which  the  membership 
was  as  follows  :  First  violins,  the  Reverend  Im¬ 
manuel  Nitschman  (leader),  and  the  Reverend 
Jacob  Van  Vleck;  second  violins,  Abraham  Lev¬ 
ering  and  Matthias  Witke;  viola,  Frederick  Beck ; 
violoncellos,  David  Weinland  and  Joseph  Till; 
flutes,  Samuel  Bader  and  Joseph  Oerter;  oboes, 
James  Hall  and  George  Frederick  Beckel;  trum¬ 
pets,  Tobias  Boeckel  and  David  Weinland; 
French  horns,  William  Lempke  and  T.  Boeckel. 

A  bassoon  was  brought  to  Bethlehem  in  1800 
by  John  Frederick  Bourquin,  and  in  1806  a  new 
contra-bass  was  purchased  at  a  cost  of  sixty-eight 
.dollars,  a  large  sum  for  those  days. 

The  first  copies  to  reach  America  of  Haydn’s 
quartets  and  symphonies  were  those  brought  to 
Bethlehem  by  the  Reverend  Mr.  Nitschman. 
The  “  Creation”  and  the  “Seasons”  had  in  Beth¬ 
lehem  their  first  renditions  in  this  country. 

According  to  the  late  Rufus  A.  Grider,  who 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


had  the  story  from  the  Reverend  Peter  Ricksecker, 
a  missionary,  the  Moravians  in  Bethlehem  came 
into  indirect  touch  with  Haydn  himself.  This 
was  through  John  Antes,  a  local  wheelwright. 
Antes,  after  experiences  as  a  missionary  in  Egypt, 
returned  to  Europe,  and  in  Vienna  was  said  to 
have  met  the  great  composer  and  to  have  played 
under  him  there.  Grider’s  “  Historical  Notes,” 
printed  in  1873  and  based,  in  part,  upon  records 
since  lost,  relate  that  “in  1 795  a  select  party,  con¬ 
sisting  of  the  Reverend  John  Frederick  Frueauff, 
first  violin  ;  George  Frederick  Beckel,  second  vio¬ 
lin  ;  John  George  Weiss,  viola,  and  David  Wein- 
land,  ’cello,  constituted  an  organization  for  per¬ 
forming  Joseph  Haydn’s  quartets,  then  quite 
new.” 

The  score  of  the  “Creation,”  which  reached 
the  community  in  1810,  was  rendered  in  the  fol¬ 
lowing  year.  Fifteen  orchestra  players  accom¬ 
panied  the  singers.  Of  outstanding  musical  ability 
among  these  players  were  David  Moritz  Michael, 
the  leader,  and  John  Ricksecker,  first  clarinet. 

The  original  of  the  Bethlehem  “Creation” 
score,  made  by  John  Frederick  Peters,  is  preserved 

18 


,  .  _ 

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Photograph  by  Conradi 


FACSIMILE  OF  THE  I  8  I  I  BETHLEHEM  SCORE  OF  HAYDN’S 

“  CREATION  ” 


FROM  PIONEER  DAYS 

in  the  organ  library  of  the  Moravian  Church, 
along  with  other  scores  of  the  same  period — all 
models  of  neatness  and  accuracy. 

Mr.  Louis  C.  Elson,  in  his“  History  of  Ameri¬ 
can  Music,”  cites  the  Bethlehem  rendition  of 
the  “Creation”  and  the  earlier  New  York  pre¬ 
sentations  of  Handel’s  “  Messiah  ”  “  as  possibly  the 
earliest  oratorio  performances  on  American  soil.” 

While  selections  from  the  “Creation”  were 
included  in  the  programme  of  a  concert  in  St. 
Augustine’s  Church,  Philadelphia,  in  June,  1 8  i  o, 
it  appears  to  be  certain  that  the  1 8 1 1  production 
in  Bethlehem  was  the  first  in  America  on  any¬ 
thing  like  a  full  scale.  Mr.  Philip  H.  Goepp, 
of  Philadelphia,  who  mentioned  the  St.  Augustine 
Church  concert  in  “Annals  of  Music  in  Phila¬ 
delphia,”  in  a  letter  to  the  present  writer  ascribes 
credit  to  the  Moravians  of  Bethlehem  and  de¬ 
clares  that  their  performance  “  was  clearly  the 
model  for  the  subsequent  production  by  the  Mu¬ 
sical  Fund  Society  in  1822,  when  Jedediah  and 
Timothy  Weiss  and  a  third  player  came  down 
from  Bethlehem  to  play  the  trombones.”  The 
Moravian  rendition  preceded  by  several  years  the 

l9 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


singing  of  a  part  of  the  “Creation”  in  King’s 
Chapel,  Boston,  at  the  so-called  “  Peace  Jubilee  ” 
in  1815,  marking  the  close  of  the  War  of  1812. 

In  “Annals  of  Music  in  Philadelphia,”  Mr. 
Goepp  held  that,  “in  the  eighteenth  century, 
when  Philadelphia  easily  surpassed  New  York 
in  musical  culture,  the  highest  musical  activity 
in  the  country  existed  in  Bethlehem.”  To  which 
he  has  added,  in  the  personal  letter  referred  to, 
that  Bethlehem,  aside  from  the  Haydn  renditions, 
“  has  other  similar  boasts  that  she  has  been  slow 
in  making,  notably  that  of  the  production  of 
Mozart’s  symphonies  within  a  few  years  of  their 
composition.  Think  of  a  symphony  orchestra  in 
the  1790’s!”  The  personnel  of  this  orchestra 
has  already  been  given.  Facts  about  the  Mozart 
productions  were  brought  out  by  Dr.  Albert  G. 
Rau,  Dean  of  the  Moravian  College  and  Theo¬ 
logical  Seminary  and  organist  of  the  Moravian 
Church,  in  a  talk  before  the  Pennsylvania  Society 
of  Colonial  Dames  in  Philadelphia  in  March, 
1917:  “Some  of  the  early  chamber  music  of 
Mozart  and  earlier  symphonies  were  performed 
in  the  Brethren’s  House  at  Bethlehem  under  the 


20 


FROM  PIONEER  DAYS 

direction  of  Immanuel  Nitschman  before  1790. 
Manuscript  copies  of  six  trios  for  strings  and  of 
three  symphonies,  preserved  in  the  music  archives 
of  the  Moravian  Church  are  dated  prior  to  1 78  5.” 

Later  programmes  that  should  be  referred  to 
in  connection  with  Bethlehem’s  early  prominence 
in  music  are  the  first  American  productions  of 
Haydn’s  “  Seasons.”  The  Bethlehem  Philhar¬ 
monic  Society  sang  “  Spring”  and  “ Summer  ”  in 
the  community  concert  hall  in  1834  and  “Win¬ 
ter”  and  “Autumn”  in  1835.  It  is  possible  that 
other  performances  of  the  “Seasons”  may  have 
been  given  earlier  elsewhere,  but  all  that  the  pres¬ 
ent  writer  has  been  able  to  discover  are  those  of 
the  old  Musical  Institute  in  New  York  City  in 
September,  1846,  and  of  the  Handel  and  Haydn 
Society  in  Boston  in  May,  1874.  Other  premier 
.Bethlehem  productions  of  less  notable  compo¬ 
sitions  were  those  given  by  the  Bethlehem  Phil¬ 
harmonic  Society  of  Dr.  Loewe’s  oratorio,  the 
“Seven  Sleepers,”  in  1833,  and  of  Neukomm’s 
oratorio,  “David,”  written  for  the  Birmingham, 
England,  Festival  of  1834  and  performed  in  Beth¬ 
lehem  shortly  after. 


21 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


It  is  worth  noting  that  the  Moravian  Church 
in  Bethlehem,  the  home  a  century  later  of  the 
early  Bach  Festivals,  was,  at  the  time  of  its  erec¬ 
tion,  one  of  the  largest  buildings  in  the  country. 
At  its  consecration  in  May,  i  806,  more  than  two 
thousand  persons  assembled  within  its  walls. 

The  building  of  this  church  has  significance 
in  a  musical  way  because  it  led  to  what  was  not 
customary  before  —  choral  music  by  mixed  voices. 
In  the  Old  Chapel  there  had  been  separate  choirs 
of  women  and  of  men,  who  occupied  galleries 
seventy  feet  apart.  This  was  in  accordance  with  the 
early  economic  division  of  the  community  into 
units  as  to  sex.  The  gallery  of  the  new  church 
accommodated  both  choirs,  and  after  1806  wo¬ 
men  and  men  sang  there  together. 

A  comparison  as  to  such  conditions  in  New 
England  at  about  the  same  time  (1815)  is  afforded 
by  a  passage  in  the  “  History  of  the  Handel  and 
Haydn  Society”:  — 

Great  opposition  was  made  when  it  was  proposed  to 
have  the  melody  sung  by  women,  on  the  ground  that 
men  had  a  prescriptive  right  to  lead,  and  that  women 
were  forbidden  to  take  the  first  part  in  song  or  any  other 
religious  service.  Solo  singing  by  women  was  unheard 


22 


Photograph  by  H.  B.  Eggert 

VIEW  FROM  CEDAR  SQUARE 


Photograph  by  H.  B.  Eggert 
CHRISTMAS  DECORATIONS  IN  CHANCEL 


THE  MORAVIAN  CHURCH,  BETHLEHEM 


FROM  PIONEER  DAYS 


of  in  churches,  and  did  not  become  common  in  public 
until  after  it  had  been  allowed  in  the  concerts  of  the 
Handel  and  Haydn  Society. 

First-hand  evidence  of  the  devotion  to  music 
among  the  Moravians  a  century  ago  was  presented 
in  the  records  of  the  concerts  from  1 807  to  1819, 
formerly  kept  in  the  Moravian  Church  archives  — 
the  book-lined,  portrait-adorned  “Kleine  Saal,” 
where  rehearsals  were  held  for  a  time.  These 
original  accounts  of  the  treasurer  of  the  orchestra 
are  now  unhappily  not  to  be  found,  although 
copied  excerpts  are  in  Dr.  Rau’s  possession.  It 
appears  that,  from  1807  to  J8i9,  a  total  of  two 
hundred  and  forty-one  concerts  were  given.  The 
largest  number  was  thirty-six,  in  1809,  with  ten 
as  the  smallest  in  1816.  There  were  twenty- 
eight  in  1808,  and  twenty-four  each  in  1810, 
1 8 1 1,  and  1813. 

That  finances  were  no  source  of  worry  in  those 
simpler  days  of  a  century  ago  is  shown  by  these 
treasurers’  accounts.  There  were  neither  tickets 
nor  admission  charges.  At  a  benefit  concert  in 
1 807  a  collection  of  $  1 9. 1  5  was  received,  and  this 
was  considered  a  goodly  sum.  Near  the  door  of 


23 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


the  concert  hall  was  a  green  box  upon  which  were 
the  words,  “For  the  Support  of  Music.”  The 
largest  receipts  in  any  one  year  were  $42.86  for 
the  thirty-six  concerts  of  1809.  The  average  for 
the  concerts  in  thirteen  years  was  $1.25.  This 
was  enough  to  pay  for  the  copying  of  music  and 
for  instruments,  new  strings,  and  candles.  In  fact, 
so  different  an  age  from  our  own  was  it  that,  when 
the  Collegium  Musicum  was  reorganized  as  the 
Philharmonic  Society  in  1820,  there  was  a  bal¬ 
ance  in  the  treasury  — small,  but  a  balance,  never¬ 
theless —  to  be  turned  over  to  the  new  society. 

During  the  period  of  the  Collegium  Musicum, 
music  of  a  lighter  character  was  popular.  Seren¬ 
ades  by  groups  of  young  men  were  frequent,  tak¬ 
ing  rise  in  the  early  practice  (first  mention  of  it 
dates  back  to  April,  1744)  of  singing  hymns 
outside  the  buildings  of  the  settlement  each  Satur¬ 
day  evening.  Members  of  the  congregation  were 
serenaded  on  their  birthdays,  and  visitors  were 
similarly  honored.  In  the  case  of  General  Wash¬ 
ington,  as  has  been  shown,  and  other  distinguished 
guests  who  tarried  at  the  Sun  Inn,  the  trombon¬ 
ists  played  selections  as  a  mark  of  exceptional 

24 


FROM  PIONEER  DAYS 


respect.  On  summer  evenings  instrumental  con¬ 
certs  were  often  given  from  the  balustrade  of  the 
Brethren’s  House.  “Harmony  music”  was  writ¬ 
ten  for  these  renditions  by  David  Moritz  Michael, 
an  accomplished  performer  on  violin,  French 
horn,  clarinet,  and  other  instruments. 

It  was  Michael  who  composed  the  “  Boatride  ” 
about  1 8 1 1,  and  then  arranged  for  an  actual  ride 
up  the  Lehigh  River  in  which  the  musicians 
played  while  seated  in  a  large  flat-bottomed  boat 
propelled  by  four  men,  with  long  poles.  The 
citizens  of  the  town  walked  along  the  river-bank 
enjoying  the  strains  of  music  as  they  came  across 
the  water.  This  boatride  remained  a  holiday  event 
on  Whit-Monday  afternoon  for  many  years. 

A  humorous  story  that  reveals  the  attitude  of 
the  Moravian  clergy  of  this  period  toward  mu- 
-sic  of  other  than  a  religious  nature  was  included 
in  Grider’s  “  Historical  Notes.”  On  the  evening 
before  an  important  service  a  young  clergyman 
heard  the  instrumental  performers  amusing  them¬ 
selves  in  their  lodging  with  music  of  a  lively 
character.  While  dining  next  day,  he  asked  one 
of  the  performers :  — 


25 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 

“Do  you  use  the  same  instruments  in  church 
to  play  sacred  music  which  you  used  last  night?” 

“Yes,  we  use  the  same.” 

Turning  to  an  elderly  clergyman,  the  young 
man  asked:  “What  do  you  think,  Brother,  is  it 
proper  to  do  so?” 

To  which  the  elder  responded:  — 

“Will  you  use  the  same  mouth  to  preach  with 
to-day  which  you  now  use  in  eating  sausage?” 

Great  as  was  the  ardor  of  the  Moravians  for 
music,  they  came  to  know  art’s  sad  satiety.  Fol¬ 
lowing  that  succession  of  two  hundred  and  forty- 
one  concerts  in  thirteen  years,  there  was  a  lull 
about  1819.  But  instead  of  the  anticipated  de¬ 
mise,  the  Collegium  Musicum,  veteran  of  three 
quarters  of  a  century,  underwent  a  Faust-like 
transformation  and  stood  forth  with  a  new  body 
and  a  new  name. 

The  reorganization  of  the  Collegium  Musicum 
into  the  Philharmonic  Society  took  place  in  1 8  20. 
This  joint  body  of  singers  and  players  “bound 
themselves  to  pay  twenty-five  cents  entrance  fee, 
a  yearly  contribution  of  fifty  cents  and  a  fine  of 
twelve  and  a  half  cents  for  non-attendance.”  An 

26 


FROM  PIONEER  DAYS 

active  figure  in  the  society  was  Bishop  Hueffel, 
who  “  was  a  very  superior  performer”  upon  the 
violoncello  and  the  piano.  The  orchestral  prac¬ 
tising  after  1822  was  held  in  the  present  Mora¬ 
vian  Preparatory  School  building. 

In  1827  the  Old  Chapel,  remodeled  for  mu¬ 
sical  and  school  functions,  became  the  concert 
hall.  There  for  many  a  season  (the  Philharmonic 
Society  maintained  life  for  nearly  seventy  years) 
programmes  of  high  standard  were  presented.  In 
1821  there  were  eighteen  Philharmonic  concerts ; 
in  1822,  twenty-one;  in  1823,  eighteen;  and  in 
1824,  eight. 

The  second  Bethlehem  performance  of  Haydn’s 
“Creation”  took  place  on  May  18,  1823,  with 
seventy  in  the  chorus  and  orchestra.  The  Ger¬ 
man  text  was  sung.  The  treasurer’s  accounts  gave 
-the  receipts  as  $107.18,  more  than  twice  the 
expenses. 

Reference  has  already  been  made  to  the  Phil¬ 
harmonic  Society’s  production  of  “  Spring  ”  and 
“Summer”  in  1834  and  “Winter”  and  “Au¬ 
tumn”  in  1835.  There  was  a  third  presentation 
of  the  “Creation”  on  May  20,  1839,  a  pro- 

27 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


gramme  of  which  is  in  the  possession  of  Mr. 
Augustus  H.  Leibert.  The  participants  then  num¬ 
bered  one  hundred  and  twenty-five,  under  the 
direction  of  the  late  C.  F.  Beckel.  “  Dwight’s 
Journal  of  Music”  for  June  29,  1 855,  contained 
an  account  of  a  production  of  the  “  Creation  ”  at 
“  the  Bethlehem  Boarding-School,  the  second 
time  this  oratorio  of  Haydn  had  been  performed 
by  the  pupils.” 

Popular  with  Bethlehem  audiences  were 
Loewe’s  “  Seven  Sleepers,”  sung,  as  has  been 
said,  in  1833,  and  repeated  the  next  year;  and 
the  1836  rendition  of  Schiller’s  “Lay  of  the 
Bell,”  with  music  by  Romberg. 

In  the  early  forties  William  T.  Roepper,  later 
Professor  of  Mineralogy  and  Geology  in  Lehigh 
University,  became  conductor  of  the  Philhar¬ 
monic,  and  he  served  for  thirteen  years.  Follow¬ 
ing  a  period  in  which  attendance  at  the  concerts 
dwindled,  T.  Windelkilde,  a  violinist,  was  made 
conductor  in  1858.  Two  performances  of  the 
“Seven  Sleepers”  were  given  in  1863.  In  1864 
and  1865  there  were  three  concerts  of  classical 
music.  Among  the  soloists  in  the  sixties  was 

28 


FROM  PIONEER  DAYS 

Madame  C.  Dressier,  who  had  earlier  attained 
some  note  as  a  soprano  at  various  courts  of  Europe. 

The  record  has  now  come  down  to  within  the 
recollection  of  the  older  citizens  of  Bethlehem. 
Professor  William  K.  Graber,  who  for  more  than 
a  half-century  has  been  organist  of  the  Church 
of  the  Holy  Infancy,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
faculty  of  the  Moravian  Seminary  and  College  for 
Women,  was  chosen  conductor  of  the  Philhar¬ 
monic  Society  in  1869.  Within  a  few  years  he 
brought  the  membership  up  to  sixty-two  singers 
and  an  orchestra  of  twenty-six.  Among  the  young 
Philharmonic  members  in  those  days  was  Dr. 
Henry  S.  Drinker,  President  of  the  Bethlehem 
Bach  Choir,  then  a  student  in  Lehigh  University, 
of  which  he  is  now  President.  Concerts  were  given 
in  the  hall  of  what  is  now  the  Moravian  Pre- 
-  paratory  School,  occasionally  by  the  Philhar¬ 
monic  Orchestra  alone,  but  more  regularly  by 
the  combined  vocal  and  instrumental  forces  of 
the  society.  Professor  Graber,  who  was  the  Phil¬ 
harmonic  conductor  for  twenty  years  and  leader 
also  of  the  old  Liederkranz,  gives  the  following 
as  the  more  important  of  the  many  compositions 

29 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


represented  in  the  miscellaneous  programmes 
of  this  period:  “Mass  in  C,”  Beethoven;  the 
“  Seasons  ”  and  the  “  Creation,”  Haydn ;  “  Hymn 
of  Praise,”  Mendelssohn;  “Stabat  Mater,”  Ros¬ 
sini  ;  the  “  Last  J udgment,”  Spohr ;  “  Crusaders,” 
Gade;  the  “Seven  Sleepers,”  Loewe ;  “Paradise 
and  the  Peri,”  Schumann;  “Noel,”  Saint-Saens. 

In  the  early  eighties  the  chorus  of  the  Phil¬ 
harmonic  Society  dwindled  away  and  was  dis¬ 
continued,  the  orchestra  maintaining  organiza¬ 
tion  for  some  years  later.  To  fill  this  gap  in  the 
town’s  musical  activities,  Dr.  J.  Fred  Wolle,  then 
a  young  man  of  nineteen,  organized  the  Bethle¬ 
hem  Choral  Union  in  1882.  Inasmuch  as  it  was 
with  the  Choral  Union  that  Dr.  Wolle  made 
the  beginning  of  his  Bach  movement,  a  separate 
chapter  will  be  devoted  to  the  ten  years  of  the 
Union’s  existence.  Detailed  attention  will,  of 
course,  be  given  to  the  organization  that  ulti¬ 
mately  replaced  the  Choral  Union  and  of  which 
this  book  is  an  exposition  —  the  Bethlehem  Bach 
Choir. 

There  are  several  organizations  of  the  recent 
past  and  of  the  present  whose  sincerity  of  pur- 


3° 


FROM  PIONEER  DAYS 


pose  and  devotion  to  genuine  standards  insures 
them  a  place  in  Bethlehem’s  musical  history.  In 
the  years  from  1906  to  19 11,  when  Dr.  Wolle 
was  in  California,  the  mantle  of  leadership  fell 
upon  his  former  pupil,  Mr.  T.  Edgar  Shields. 
Mr.  Shields  founded  the  Oratorio  Society  of  the 
Bethlehems  in  1907.  For  five  years  the  musical 
force  of  the  community  was  kept  active  and  alert 
through  this  body  of  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  singers.  The  oratorios  rendered  included 
Haydn’s  “Creation,”  Handel’s  “Judas  Macca¬ 
beus,”  Gounod’s  “Redemption,”  and  Mendels¬ 
sohn’s  “St.  Paul.”  In  addition  to  the  immediate 

✓ 

artistic  profit  of  such  work  was  the  immeasurable 
value  of  these  singers,  consecutively  trained,  to 
the  Bach  movement.  When  Dr.  Wolle  began 
reorganization  upon  his  return  from  the  Pacific 
.Coast,  Mr.  Shields  and  his  singers,  with  gener¬ 
ous  spirit,  voluntarily  merged  their  society  in  the 
Bach  Choir,  of  which  Mr.  Shields  became  and 
continues  organist. 

Another  organization  of  praiseworthy  stand¬ 
ards  was  the  former  Bethlehem  Choral  Society, 
started  as  a  church  chorus  in  1898  by  Mr.  David 

31 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 

G.  Samuels,  organist  of  Christ  Reformed  Church. 
In  1907  the  original  body  of  eighty  was  enlarged 
to  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  voices,  and  Men¬ 
delssohn’s  “  Elijah  ”  was  given  the  following  year. 
Owing  to  the  ill-health  at  that  time  of  the  con¬ 
ductor,  the  society  was  discontinued.  Mr.  Sam¬ 
uels  is  now  head  of  the  Bethlehem  School  of 
Music,  a  thorough  and  thriving  institution. 

Present-day  musical  societies  include  the  Bee¬ 
thoven  Maennerchor,  founded  in  1890,  which  is 
under  the  leadership  of  Mr.  Hans  Roemer,  of  the 
musical  faculty  of  the  Moravian  Seminary  and 
College  for  Women  ;  and  the  Bass  Clef  Club, 
begun  in  1911  with  Mr.  I.  H.  Bartholomew  as 
director,  and  now  conducted  by  Mr.  Shields. 

The  part  Mr.  Charles  M.  Schwab  has  played 
in  making  the  present  Bach  Festivals  possible 
will  be  described  in  a  later  chapter.  The  same 
kind  of  generous  support  has  been  extended  by 
the  steel-master  to  the  Lehigh  Valley  Symphony 
Orchestra,  an  organization  of  which  Mr.  Schwab 
and  Mr.  Warren  A.  Wilbur  are  the  guarantors. 
Under  Mr.  Andrew  M.  Weingartner,  an  orches¬ 
tra  of  amateurs  was  started  in  1905,  and  a  con- 

32 


FROM  PIONEER  DAYS 


cert  was  given  in  the  Moravian  Preparatory 
School  Hall.  With  Mr.  Schwab’s  backing  a  fund 
was  raised  by  a  group  of  guarantors,  citizens  of 
the  neighboring  cities  of  Allentown  and  Easton 
and  Bethlehem,  and  arrangements  were  made  to 
give  two  concerts  in  each  locality.  In  recent 
years  Allentown  has  developed  its  own  symphony 
orchestra  and  Easton  has  made  a  beginning.  The 
Lehigh  Valley  Symphony  Orchestra  is,  therefore, 
now  an  organization  of  the  city  of  Bethlehem. 

Under  its  president,  Dr.  Albert  G.  Rau,  Dean 
of  the  Moravian  College,  an  able  musical  scholar, 
and  Conductor  Weingartner,  the  orchestra  has 
labored  earnestly  and  intelligently,  so  that  for 
thirteen  seasons  programmes  have  been  played 
worthy  of  the  best  Bethlehem  traditions.  Thanks 
to  the  generosity  of  Messrs.  Schwab  and  Wilbur, 
.the  soloists  for  the  symphony  concerts  have  in¬ 
cluded  these  artists  :  Mme.  Schumann-Heink, 
Mme.  Sembrich,  Mme.  Alda,  Mme.  Homer, 
Mme.  Gluck,  Mme.  SamarofF,  Fritz  Kreisler, 
Zimbalist,  Josef  Hoffman,  Mischa  Elman,  Er¬ 
nest  Schelling,  and  Alessandro  Bonci. 

Mr.  Schwab  takes  pride  in  a  distinctive 

33 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


feature  of  his  great  plant  in  Bethlehem,  the 
Bethlehem  Steel  Company  Band.  It  is  pertinent 
here  to  recall  that  band  music  in  Bethlehem  ex¬ 
tends  back  for  more  than  a  century.  In  the  same 
year  1809,  in  which  David  Moritz  Michael  or¬ 
ganized  a  military  band  for  the  annual  Whit- 
Monday  boatride,  the  Columbian  Band  was 
formed.  The  Moravians  who  constituted  it  thus 
fulfilled  their  service  under  the  military  laws  of 
the  State,  which  then  required  all  males  between 
the  ages  of  eighteen  and  forty-five  years  to  exer¬ 
cise  in  military  tactics  twice  a  year,  or  pay  a  fine. 
From  twelve  members  the  Columbian  Band  grew 
to  twice  that  many,  and  later  included  some  of 
the  prominent  citizens  of  Bethlehem.  They  fur¬ 
nished  military  music  at  battalion  parades  of  the 
Ninety-seventh  Regiment  of  Pennsylvania  Mili¬ 
tia.  There  was  a  Bethlehem  Brass  Band  from 
1839  to  1843  (the  Parade  music  of  which  was 
good,  according  to  Mr.  Richard  W.  Leibert,  a 
citizen  of  eighty-six  years),  and  a  similar  organ¬ 
ization,  the  Bethlehem  Cornet  Band  (Beckel’s 
Band),  from  1861  on.  The  old  Fairview  Band, 
led  by  Mr.  Edward  Groman,  and  the  Bethlehem 


34 


FROM  PIONEER  DAYS 


Band  (descendant  of  the  Cornet  Band)  were  later 
developments  of  local  talent. 

Local  players  likewise  make  up  Mr.  Schwab’s 
Bethlehem  Steel  Company  Band  of  to-day  —  all 
of  them  employees  in  the  steel  works.  There  are 
about  one  hundred  members  under  Mr.  Wein- 
gartner,  director,  equipped  by  Mr.  Schwab  with 
the  finest  instruments  obtainable.  For  the  re¬ 
hearsals  of  the  players  and  for  their  comfort  the 
steel-master  has  furnished  a  practice  hall  and 
clubhouse  in  Bethlehem.  Since  its  organization 
in  September,  1910,  the  Bethlehem  Steel  Com¬ 
pany  Band  has  made  concert  trips  each  season  to 
Pennsylvania  cities.  The  band  played,  for  ex¬ 
ample,  at  a  great  patriotic  mass  meeting  in  Har¬ 
risburg  in  the  spring  of  1917,  when  Ambassador 
Gerard  spoke.  It  marched  at  the  head  of  the 
Liberty  Loan  Parade  in  New  York  City  in  Octo¬ 
ber,  1917.  An  annual  event  is  the  concert  given  by 
the  band  in  Central  Park,  New  York,  in  August. 


II 


THE  BEGINNINGS  OF  BACH  SINGING  IN 
BETHLEHEM 


OR  a  study  of  the  social  process  as  exem- 


plified  in  a  single  civic  group,  Bethlehem’s 
musical  history,  as  it  has  been  outlined  in  the 
preceding  chapter,  would  afford  interesting  mate¬ 
rial.  A  sociologist  of  the  environmental  school 
could  cite  geographical  factors:  the  immediate 
isolation  of  the  Moravian  pioneers  which  made 
music  a  recreation  and  solace,  and  the  relative 
nearness  to  seaports  which  made  possible  connec¬ 
tion  with  musical  activities  abroad.  A  sociologist 
following  LeBon  could  ascribe  Bethlehem’s  mu¬ 
sic  to  the  common  psychical  heredity  or  “soul”  of 
a  social  group  which  to  this  day  maintains  some¬ 
thing  of  the  early  communistic  aspect.  The  socio¬ 
logical  viewpoint  expressed  in  Bagehot’s  words, 
“  The  greatest  minds  of  an  age  ...  set  the  tone 
which  others  take,”  could  find  abundant  instances 
in  the  line  of  Bethlehem’s  musical  leaders  from 
Count  Zinzendorf  down  to  Dr.  J.  Fred  Wolle. 


36 


i 


BEGINNINGS  IN  BETHLEHEM 


To  attempt  a  sociological  study  would  be  out¬ 
side  the  scope  of  the  present  work.  But  an  ac¬ 
count  of  the  development  of  Bach  singing  in 
Bethlehem  can  hardly  ignore  two  of  the  factors 
just  indicated. 

From  its  earliest  days,  as  has  been  shown,  mu¬ 
sical  aptitude  was  a  heritage  of  the  Moravian  con¬ 
gregation —  a  common  psychical  heritage,  the 
LeBon  sociology  would  term  it.  Moreover,  the 
music  of  die  hymnology  handed  down  to  the  Beth¬ 
lehem  Brethren  was  precisely  that  upon  which 
Bach,  writing  for  his  Lutheran  church  choirs  in 
Leipsic,  had  built  his  chorales  and  other  com¬ 
positions.  It  was  with  a  sense  of  old  acquaintance 
that  the  Bethlehem  organist,  Dr.  Wolle,  studying 
in  Munich  as  a  youth,  first  heard  Bach  sung  on  a 
large  scale.  A  miraculous  leap  it  seemed  back  to 
the  Moravian  Church  at  home. 

The  inspiration  Dr.  Wolle  then  felt  to  spread 
the  tidings  of  Bach  explains  the  beginning  of 
Bach  singing  in  Bethlehem.  It  began  in  entire 
accordance  with  Tarde’s  dictum  that  “forces 
always  arise  from  one  person,  from  a  single  cen¬ 
ter.”  The  process  followed  the  definition  of 

37 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 

William  James,  “  Initiatives  on  the  part  of  in¬ 
ventors,  great  or  small,  and  imitation  by  the  rest 
of  us  —  these  are  the  sole  factors  active  in  human 
progress.”  Without  this  individual  initiative  the 
Bach  Choir  and  the  Bach  Festivals  of  to-day  would 
almost  certainly  never  have  existed.  Likewise, 
without  imitation  by  others,  —  intelligent,  de¬ 
voted,  and  generous  co-workers,  —  the  Choir  and 
the  Festivals  would  certainly  not  have  persisted. 

A  sketch  of  Dr.  Wolle’s  boyhood  and  youth 
is  given  in  a  later  chapter.  It  is  pertinent  here 
to  refer  to  his  earliest  effort  along  choral  lines, 
the  organization  of  a  chorus  of  girls.  He  directed 
two  performances  by  them  of  a  cantata,  “The 
Flower  Queen,”  on  September  4  and  25,  1882. 
“We  hope  that  Mr.  Wolle  will  be  encouraged 
to  bring  out  something  more  elaborate,”  said 
the  “Bethlehem  Times”  in  its  report  of  the 
success  of  this  chorus.  The  youthful  conductor 
was  so  encouraged.  The  Philharmonic  Society, 
dating  from  1820,  continued  in  existence,  but 
only  as  an  orchestra.  So,  to  fill  the  gap  in  the 
vocal  activities  of  the  town,  Dr.  Wolle  organ¬ 
ized  the  Bethlehem  Choral  Union. 

38 


BEGINNINGS  IN  BETHLEHEM 

An  account  of  the  Choral  Union’s  “  first  con¬ 
cert  in  public  in  Moravian  day  school  hall  last 
evening,”  appeared  in  the  “  Bethlehem  Times  ” 
of  March  28,  1883.  The  singers  gave  “  He  that 
Hath  a  Pleasant  Face”  (J.  S.  Hatton),  “  Cradle 
Song”  (Henry  Smart),  and  “Humpty  Dumpty,” 
a  glee  (A.  J.  Caldicott),  which  constituted  the 
first  part  of  the  programme. 

Then  came  parts  one  and  two  of  Haydn’s 
“  Creation,”  which  had  not  been  heard  in  Beth¬ 
lehem  for  many  years.  The  “Times”  report 
said :  — 


The  choristers  were  frequently  applauded  at  the 
conclusion  of  some  attractive  air  or  melodious  chorus, 
particularly  among  the  latter  being  the  one  commenc¬ 
ing  “  The  heavens  are  telling  the  glory  of  God.” 
J.  Frederick  Wolle,  the  musical  director  of  the  Choral 
Union,  wielded  the  baton  with  precision  and  tact. 

When  Dr.  Wolle  went  to  Munich  in  1884, 
his  father’s  cousin,  the  late  Theodore  F.  Wolle, 
then  organist  of  the  Moravian  Church,  took 
over  the  Choral  Union,  and  under  him  its  work 
continued  during  the  year  and  a  half  the  con¬ 
ductor  was  abroad. 


39 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


Of  the  twenty-one  concerts  that  the  Choral 
Union  gave  during  the  ten  years  of  its  existence, 
many  were  devoted  to  Handel,  Haydn,  Men¬ 
delssohn,  and  others.  The  one  of  vital  interest 
for  this  record  was  the  singing,  on  June  5,  1888, 
of  Bach’s  “  St.  John  Passion”  music,  the  pre¬ 
mier  complete  rendition  in  America. 

Dr.  Wolle  had  come  back  from  Germany 
enthusiastic  about  the  choral  work  of  Bach.  His 
own  enthusiasm  gradually  permeated  the  Choral 
Union  so  that  the  hundred  and  fifteen  singers 
followed  him  in  his  enterprise  of  rendering  the 
“St.  John  Passion”  for  the  first  time  in  this 
country.  That  it  was  the  first  time  a  letter  from 
Carl  Zerrahn,  of  Boston,  attested.  Mr.  Zerrahn, 
then  conductor  of  the  Boston  Handel  and  Haydn 
Society,  wrote  Dr.  Wolle  that  his  society  had 
given  only  a  few  fragments  of  the  work  and 
had  no  claim  to  prior  rendition. 

The  “Bethlehem  Times”  account  (June  6, 
1888)  includes  these  paragraphs:  — 

The  choral  outbursts,  which  are  a  striking  feature 
of  the  “  Passion,”  were  probably  the  most  difficult 
parts,  but  were  rendered  with  the  same  perfection  and 


40 


BEGINNINGS  IN  BETHLEHEM 


brilliant  effect  which  marked  the  more  elaborate  cho¬ 
ruses  and  the  gloriously  expressive  chorales  which 
punctuated  the  “  Passion.”  As  usual,  the  work  of  the 
chorus  was  very  superior  and  showed  a  keen  apprecia¬ 
tion  of  the  solemn  majesty  of  the  work  as  well  as  great 
musical  skill.  The  orchestra  did  its  duty  quite  satis¬ 
factorily,  even  though  weak  in  numbers,  and  the  piano 
parts  were  taken  care  of  by  Mrs.  Wilson.  In  short, 
the  whole  work  of  the  Choral  Union,  under  Professor 
Wolle’s  admirable  leadership,  was  of  that  very  high 
standard  which  has  always  marked  its  work  and  given 
it  a  more  than  local  reputation  as  a  first-class  musical 
organization. 

The  solo  parts  were  admirably  sung  by  Miss  Mar¬ 
garet  A.  Nevins,  of  Catasauqua,  the  soprano;  Mrs. 
W.  L.  Estes,  the  contralto;  Wm.  Hamilton,  the 
tenor;  and  C.  T.  Bender  and  W.  P.  Thomas,  the 
basso  parts;  and  the  organ  accompaniments  were 
handled  by  Professor  Wolle. 

The  difficulties  which  Dr.  Wolle  had  in 
maintaining  interest  in  the  Choral  Union  are 
suggested  in  an  article  in  the  “Times”  of  No¬ 
vember  15,  1890,  in  which  a  member  of  the 
staff  wrote  of  the  Choral  Union  director  :  — 

I  asked  him  about  the  Bach  music  the  other  day, 
and  he  warmed  up  as  enthusiastically  as  a  horticultur¬ 
ist  over  a  new  chrysanthemum.  “  In  becoming  sub¬ 
scribers  to  the  Choral  Union,”  he  said,  “the  public 


41 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


need  not  fear  but  that  in  every  way  the  ‘Passion* 
music  is  worthy  of  their  support.  While,  undoubtedly 
to  many  minds  the  name  of  Bach  carries  with  it  the 
idea  of  dryness  and  abstruseness,  Bach’s  biographer, 
Spitta,  says  in  a  few  words  enough  to  dispel  such  an 
impression.  Here  it  is:  “‘St.  Matthew  Passion,”  as  a 
whole,  is,  in  a  remarkable  degree,  a  popular  work. 
.  .  .  With  all  its  profundity,  breadth,  and  wealth,  and 
in  spite  of  all  the  art  lavished  upon  it,  it  never  belies 
the  lucidity  and  simplicity  which  are  its  mainstay.  .  .  . 
The  contrast  which  it  presents  to  the  gloomy  “  St. 
John  Passion”  (which  the  Choral  Union  produced 
two  years  ago)  is  a  marked  one.  It  surpasses  that  in 
many  respects.’  ” 

The  present  status  of  the  Choral  Union  and  the 
“  Passion  ”  music  is  rather  precarious.  I  believe  Pro¬ 
fessor  Wolle’s  enthusiasm,  if  nothing  else,  will  carry 
both  of  them  through. 

It  was  not  until  April,  1892,  that  the  “St. 
Matthew  Passion  ”  was  accomplished.  The 
Choral  Union  was  augmented  for  the  occasion 
by  choir  boys  of  the  chapel  of  Lehigh  Univer¬ 
sity  and  by  members  of  the  singing  classes  of 
the  Moravian  schools.  There  was  a  “  double 
orchestra,”  which  included  a  number  of  Lehigh 
students. 

“  The  soloists  were  Miss  Margaret  A.  Nevins, 
soprano,  Catasauqua ;  Mrs.  W.  L.  Estes,  con- 

42 


BEGINNINGS  IN  BETHLEHEM 

tralto,  South  Bethlehem;  and  Messrs.  William 
H.  Rieger,  tenor;  Perry  Averiil,  baritone;  and 
Carl  E.  Martin,  bass,  New  York.” 

The  organist  was  the  late  Samuel  P.  Warren, 
of  Grace  Church,  New  York  City,  under  whom 
Dr.  Wolle  had  studied.  “Why,  I  had  no  idea 
you  were  so  thoroughly  trained,”  Mr.  Warren 
told  the  singers  at  their  final  rehearsal,  as  re¬ 
ported  in  the  “Times.” 

The  report  of  the  rendition  in  the  former 
“  South  Bethlehem  Star  ”  said :  — 

Particularly  in  the  chorales,  ten  of  which  beautify 
the  composition,  were  the  power  and  perfection  of  the 
chorus  heard  with  the  finest  effect  —  a  result  probably 
due  in  great  measure  to  the  fact  that  the  Moravian 
hymn  tunes,  with  which  the  singers  are  familiar,  par¬ 
take  largely  of  the  full  harmony,  slow  movement,  and 
rhythmic  division  which  characterize  the  chorales.  The 
‘admirable  training  of  the  voices  and  the  skill  of  the 
conductor  were  seen  to  advantage  also  in  the  double 
choruses. 

And  then  Dr.  Wolle  proposed  to  his  singers 
of  the  Choral  Union  that  they  undertake  Bach’s 
greatest  work,  the  “  Mass  in  B  Minor.”  They 
looked  it  over  and  their  ardor  wilted. 


43 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


The  “  Mass  ”  was  colossally  hard.  They  wanted 
to  sing  easier  things.  Their  conductor  was  ada¬ 
mant  ;  it  was  to  be  the  “  B  Minor  Mass”  or 
nothing.  It  was  nothing,  as  far  as  the  Choral 
Union  was  concerned.  The  Union  quietly  passed 
out  of  existence.  In  1892-93  there  was  a  Beth¬ 
lehem  Oratorio  Society. 

Then,  for  five  years,  there  was  no  organized 
chorus  in  Bethlehem.  Dr.  Wolle  meanwhile 
trained  his  Moravian  Church  Choir  (he  was  or¬ 
ganist  of  the  Moravian  Church,  1885-1905,  and 
of  Lehigh  University,  1887-1905),  so  that,  on 
December  18,  1894,  the  church  singers,  assisted 
by  others,  gave  parts  of  Bach’s  “  Christmas  Ora¬ 
torio.” 

This  sagging  of  the  community’s  musical  mo¬ 
rale  was  remedied  through  initiatives  on  the  part 
of  inventors,  to  repeat  Professor  James’s  phrase, 
—  the  inventors  being  a  group  of  ladies  headed 
by  the  late  Ruth  Porter  Doster,  wife  of  General 
W.  E.  Doster.  They  had  organized  a  club  to 
sing  and  to  study,  and  they  asked  Dr.  Wolle  to 
lead  and  instruct  them.  His  refusal  to  direct  any 
chorus  in  Bethlehem  that  would  not  give  Bach 

44 


BEGINNINGS  IN  BETHLEHEM 


served  as  a  challenge.  Mrs.  Doster,  assisted  by 
some  of  the  other  ladies,  canvassed  the  singers 
of  Bethlehem  and  vicinity  in  the  fall  of  1898. 
They  won  converts  to  the  project  of  attempting 
the  “  B  Minor  Mass,”  so  that,  with  the  choir 
of  the  Moravian  Church  as  a  nucleus,  a  chorus 
of  about  eighty  singers  was  organized  on  Decem¬ 
ber  5  of  that  year. 

Although  in  a  larger  sense  Dr.  Wolle  was  the 
founder  of  the  Bach  Choir,  he  and  others  have 
always  paid  tribute  to  Mrs.  Doster  as  being  the 
immediate  organizer  and  as  an  invaluable  factor 
in  the  early  Festivals.  She  was  a  musician  of  un¬ 
common  ability.  The  daughter  of  General  Josiah 
Porter,  of  New  York,  she  spent  six  years  in  mu¬ 
sical  study  in  Germany  and  four  in  Switzerland. 
Her  training  was  under  leading  masters  and  she 
became  a  brilliant  pianist.  She  was  a  diligent  and 
sound  student  of  Bach’s  music. 

Mrs.  Doster  headed  the  Executive  Committee 
which  made  the  arrangements  for  the  first  Bach 
Festival  in  1900.  The  others  on  this  committee 
were  Miss  Lucy  A.  Brickenstein,  Miss  Evelyn 
Chandler  (now  Mrs.  Ralph  R.  Hillman),  Mr. 

45 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


Milton  J.  Shimer,  and  Mr.  Ralph  R.  Hillman. 
In  the  formal  organization  of  the  Bach  Choir 
on  April  2,  1900,  after  the  first  Festival,  the  fol¬ 
lowing  were  elected  as  officers  and  they  served 
up  to  the  discontinuance  of  the  Choir  in  1905: 
President,  Mr.  Ralph  R.  Hillman,  now  of  Buf¬ 
falo,  New  York,  who  while  a  student  at  Lehigh 
had  sung  in  Dr.  Wolle’s  University  Choir;  Vice- 
President,  Dr.  William  S.  Franklin,  for  many 
years  Professor  of  Physics  at  Lehigh;  Treasurer, 
Mr.  Milton  J.  Shimer,  a  leading  member  of  the 
old  Choral  Union;  Secretary,  Mrs.  Doster;  Re¬ 
cording  Secretary,  Mr.  Howard  J.  Wiegner ;  Li¬ 
brarian,  Mr.  Clinton  F.  Zerweck.-The  Mem¬ 
bership  Committee  comprised  Miss  Brickenstein, 
Miss  Chandler,  Miss  Martha  H.  Wunderling, 
Miss  Helen  E.  Shields,  Mr.  E.  H.  Wilhelm,  Mr. 
F.  A.  Sterling,  and  Mr.  S.  A.  Sten  Hammar.  Dr. 
William  Frederic  Bade,  then  a  member  of  the 
Faculty  of  the  Moravian  College  and  Theolog¬ 
ical  Seminary,  was  Chairman  of  the  Programme 
Committee. 

Recruits  were  called  for  in  a  public  letter  which 
Dr.  Wolle  printed  in  the  “  Bethlehem  Times” 

46 


BEGINNINGS  IN  BETHLEHEM 


on  September  22,  1899,  in  which  he  appealed 
for  a  membership  “  absolutely  representative  of 
the  musical  resources  of  this  community.”  The 
time  limit  for  the  admission  of  new  members  was 
fixed  as  October  2.  Dr.  Wolle  wrote:  — 

This  early  closing  of  the  list  is  necessitated  by  the 
nature  of  the  self-imposed  task.  The  “Mass,”  owing 
to  its  huge  proportions,  its  well  nigh  insuperable  diffi¬ 
culties,  and  the  almost  inaccessible  height  of  artistic 
plan,  makes  unusual  demands  and  will  yield  to  noth¬ 
ing  short  of  complete  surrender  of  the  singers’  time, 
industry  and  patience.  The  question  whether  in  any 
sense  of  the  word  it  pays  to  devote  one’s  self  so  thor¬ 
oughly  to  the  performance  of  a  work  beset  with  obsta¬ 
cles  can  best  be  answered  by  those  members  of  the 
chorus  who,  since  last  December,  have  braved  the  dif¬ 
ficulties,  and  who,  with  keen  artistic  insight,  doubtless 
ere  this  have  had  revealed  to  them  unsuspected  beauties 
in  unlooked  for  places  in  this  veritable  masterpiece  of 
unspeakable  power  and  imperishable  glory. 

-Throughout  the  fall  and  winter  of  1899  and 
the  early  months  of  1900,  the  Choir  forces  laid 
further  siege  to  the  mountainous  “Mass  in  B 
Minor.”  Their  leader  had  now  developed  a 
method  of  attack  that  proved  effective  and  which 
has  come  to  be  regarded  since  as  a  valuable  con¬ 
tribution  to  the  art  of  choral  teaching.  This  was 


47 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


Dr.  Wolle’s  scheme,  in  studying  a  new  chorus, 
of  starting  the  singers  at  the  end  of  the  chorus 
instead  of  at  the  beginning,  and  similarly  at  the 
close  instead  of  at  the  opening  of  each  main  pas¬ 
sage  of  the  chorus.  The  method  and  its  results 
are  described  in  Chapter  vi  of  this  book. 

But  more  important  than  method  was  the  en¬ 
thusiasm  Dr.  Wolle  was  able  to  stir  and  to  main¬ 
tain  in  his  forces.  It  was  spirit  that  won  the  first 
campaign  as  it  has  won  at  each  Festival  since. 
With  the  conquering  of  technical  difficulties  the 
singers  found  mastery  of  the  heights  all  and  more 
than  their  leader  had  promised. 

And  then,  after  fourteen  months  of  preparation. 
Dr.  Wolle  decided  that  the  Choir  was  ready.  The 
date  fixed  for  the  production  was  Tuesday,  March 
27,  1900;  the  place,  the  Moravian  Church. 


Ill 

THE  BACH  FESTIVALS  1900-1905 

IT  was  a  happy  circumstance  that  the  organiza¬ 
tion  of  the  Bach  Choir  came  when  it  did,  be¬ 
cause  time  was  afforded  to  make  the  first  of  the 
Bethlehem  Bach  Festivals  an  anniversary  occasion. 

Johann  Sebastian  Bach  died  in  1750.  The  old 
Bach  Society,  founded  a  hundred  years  after  his 
death,  in  1900  finished  its  half-century  task  of 
publishing  a  complete  edition  of  the  works  of  the 
master.  On  January  27,  1900,  the  New  Bach 
Society  was  organized  with  headquarters  at  Leip- 
sic.  This  event  and  the  significance  of  the  year 
as  the  one  hundred  and  fiftieth  anniversary  of 
Bach’s  death  were  marked  by  Bach  festivals  in 
Germany  and  in  England.  Bethlehem  had  the 
honor,  not  only  of  giving  the  “  Mass  in  B  Minor  ” 
its  first  complete  American  rendition,  but,  in  so 
doing,  of  leading  this  country  in  the  productions 
of  Bach  music  that  marked  this  anniversary.  The 
Oratorio  Society  of  New  York  followed  in  April 

49 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


with  the  “  Mass,”  which  was  also  given  by  The 
Cecilia  Society  of  Boston  in  December,  1901,  by 
the  Choral  Society  of  Philadelphia  in  April,  1902, 
and  at  the  Cincinnati  May  Festival  in  May,  1 902. 

THE  FIRST  BACH  FESTIVAL,  I9OO 

The  first  Bethlehem  rendition  of  the  “  B  Minor 
Mass  ”  took  place  in  the  Moravian  Church  on 
Tuesday,  March  27,  1900,  the  “  Kyrie  ”  and  the 
“  Gloria  ”  at  4  p.m.  and  the  “  Credo,”  the  “  Sanc- 
tus,”  the  “ Benedictus,”  and  the  “Agnus  Dei” 
at  8  p.m.  Each  service  was  announced  by  the 
playing  of  the  Moravian  Trombone  Choir  from 
the  belfry  of  the  church.  There  were  eighty  sing¬ 
ers  in  the  chorus,  and  thirty  players  in  the  ama¬ 
teur  orchestra  which  furnished  the  accompani¬ 
ment.  The  soloists  were  Miss  Katherin  Hilke, 
of  New  York,  and  Miss  Lucy  A.  Brickenstein,  of 
Bethlehem,  sopranos;  Mrs.  W.  L.  Estes,  of  South 
Bethlehem,  contralto;  Mr.  Nicholas  Douty,  of 
Philadelphia,  tenor  ;  Mr.  Arthur  Beresford,  of 
Boston,  bass.  The  performance  was  conducted 
by  Dr.  Wolle  from  the  organ  bench.  Dr.  Wolle 
played  the  organ  accompaniment  at  times. 


5° 


THE  FIRST  BACH  FESTIVAL 


Although  there  were  a  number  of  prominent 
music-lovers  of  New  York  and  Philadelphia  in 
the  congregation,  no  important  critics  were  in 
attendance.  An  unbiased  opinion  as  to  the  merit 
of  the  rendition  was  that  of  Mr.  F.  H.  Comstock, 
Treasurer  of  the  Oratorio  Society  of  New  York, 
who  declared :  “  The  Choir  was  letter  perfect  and 
Professor  Wolle  has  done  wonderfully  well.” 

Similarly  interesting  was  the  comment  of  Mr. 
Beresford,  the  bass  soloist,  in  a  paper  he  read 
before  The  Cecilia  Society  of  Boston,  printed  in 
the  “  Boston  Evening  Transcript”  of  November 
23,  1901  :  — 

There  is  no  exaggeration  in  saying  that  seldom  has 
any  chorus  shown  such  splendid  enthusiasm  and  wil¬ 
lingness  to  work  asdid  these  people,  handicapped  as  they 
undoubtedly  were.  The  loyal  tenacity  with  which  they 
stuck  to  their  self-imposed  task  was  beyond  praise.  The 
singers  in  every  part  devoted  three  evenings  each  week 
to  the  study  of  the  work,  and  in  addition  to  this  many 
of  the  better  musicians  and  people  of  leisure  formed 
classes,  meeting  at  various  houses  during  the  day  and 
going  over  the  more  difficult  passages  together. 

Such  whole-hearted  devotion  was  bound  to  be  fruitful 
of  results  and  it  undoubtedly  accounted  for  something 
which  I  noticed  during  the  performance  and  which 
greatly  surprised  me  at  the  time.  That  was  that  quite  a 

51 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


large  number  in  the  chorus  appeared  to  be  wholly  in¬ 
dependent  of  their  copies  and  were  evidently  singing 
the  difficult  music  from  memory.  This  familiarity  with 
the  work  rendered  it  comparatively  easy  for  the  con¬ 
ductor,  as  he  was  always  sure  of  their  keen  attention, 
and  it  further  made  them  as  a  body  flexible  to  his  sig¬ 
nals  for  expression. 

The  chorus,  however,  were  not  the  only  people  who 
had  worked  hard  and  faithfully  to  make  the  occasion  a 
success.  The  greater  part  of  the  orchestra  consisted  of 
amateur  talent,  and  while  they  were  not  nearly  so  suc¬ 
cessful  in  the  aggregate  as  the  singers,  they  yet  deserved 
praise  for  much  fine  work  under  the  depressing  condi¬ 
tions  of  inadequate  space  and  unfavorable  positions, 
necessitated  by  the  limitations  of  the  small  choir  gallery 
which  chorus  and  orchestra  occupied. 

Although  before  and  immediately  after  the  first 
rendition  of  the  “Mass”  no  considerable  outside 
attention  was  given  to  it,  the  news  of  the  achieve¬ 
ment  spread  during  the  year  following.  By  the 
time  of  the  1901  Festival,  the  American  music 
public  had  heard  a  good  deal  about  the  Bethle¬ 
hem  Choir,  its  initial  success  and  its  proposed 
larger  undertaking  in  a  three-days  Festival. 

THE  SECOND  BACH  FESTIVAL,  I9OI 

In  the  detached  retrospect  made  possible  by 
the  passing  of  years,  the  outstanding  impression 

52 


THE  SECOND  BACH  FESTIVAL 


produced  by  re-reading  the  newspaper  and  maga¬ 
zine  accounts  of  the  second  Bach  Festival  is  one 
of  sheer  amazement  at  its  success. 

This,  for  example,  is  an  extract  from  the  re¬ 
view  of  Mr.  H.  E.  Krehbiel  in  the  “  New  York 
Tribune”  of  May  24,  1901:  — 

Mr.  Wolle’s  singers  accomplished  miracles  to-day. 
There  were  moments  when  the  dramatic  climaxes  were 
reached  when  they  struck  like  a  thunderbolt,  and  al¬ 
ways  they  kept  the  critical  listeners  in  a  maze  by  the 
promptness  of  their  attack,  their  easy  mastery  of  the 
music  and  the  wonderful  cleanness  with  which  they  pre¬ 
sented  the  web  and  woof  of  the  choral  fabric.  ...  It  is 
doubtful  whether  any  previous  performance  in  America 
was  comparable  with  it  —  certainly  none  that  I  have 
heard. 

In  his  report  in  the  “New  York  Times,”  of 
which  he  was  then  music  critic,  Mr.  William  J. 
Henderson  wrote  on  May  25  : — - 

Such  choral  singing  is  indeed  rare,  and  to  hear  it  is 
a  privilege.  Bach  never  wrote  anything  more  glorious 
than  the  “Sanctus”  of  this  mass,  and  if  he  could  have 
heard  it  sung  as  it  was  to-night  it  would  have  brought 
tears  of  joy  to  his  eyes.  It  was  a  performance  in  which 
the  sublimity  of  the  music  was  perfectly  disclosed.  It  is 
impossible  to  say  more  than  that. 


53 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


Tributes  like  these  were  the  judgments  passed 
upon  the  offerings  to  which  Dr.  Wolle  and  his 
Choir  had  devoted  many  months  of  study  and 
practice.  It  was  a  success  that  more  than  com¬ 
pensated  the  conductor  for  his  years  of  Bach  hope 
deferred. 

The  programme  of  this  second  Festival  was 
made  up  of  a  grouping  of  the  works  already  ren¬ 
dered  in  Bethlehem  under  Dr.  Wolle  in  i  892,  in 
1894,  and  in  1 900,  a  series  that  presented  as  well 
a  unified  religious  idea  — the  sacred  narratives  of 
the  manger  and  the  cross  and  the  human  appeal 
to  a  risen  Redeemer.  The  programme  was:  — 

Thursday,  May  23.  The  “Christmas  Oratorio”; 
Parts  I,  II,  and  III  at  4  p.m.;  Parts  IV,  V  and  VI  at 

8  P.M. 

Friday ,  May  24.  The  “  Passion,  according  to  St. 
Matthew  ”  ;  Part  I  at  4  p.m.  ;  Part  II  at  8  p.m. 

Saturday ,  May  25.  The  “Mass  in  B  Minor”;  the 
“  Kyrie  ”  and  the  “Gloria”  at  4  p.m.;  the  “Credo” 
to  the  end  at  8  p.m. 

Parts  of  the  “  Christmas  Oratorio  ”  had  been 
sung,  as  has  been  told,  in  1894  by  Dr.  Wolle’s 
Moravian  Church  Choir  and  friends.  Other 
choruses  had  given  various  parts  of  it;  the  Han- 

54 


THE  SECOND  BACH  FESTIVAL 


del  and  Haydn  Society  of  Boston,  the  Cincin¬ 
nati  Festival  Choir  under  Theodore  Thomas, 
and  the  Musical  Art  Society  in  New  York  under 
Frank  Damrosch.  This  performance  at  the 
1901  Bethlehem  Festival  was  the  first  complete 
American  production. 

The  historical  importance  thereby  attached  to 
it  was  recognized  by  Mr.  Henderson  and  Mr. 
Krehbiel  in  their  detailed  discussion  of  the  traits 
of  “a  novelty  a  century  and  a  half  old.”  It  may 
be  said  here,  parenthetically,  that  the  work  of 
both  of  these  gentlemen  in  reporting  the  second 
Bach  Festival  attracted  attention  at  the  time  as 
representative  of  their  best  journalistic  powers. 
The  literary  as  well  as  the  musical  value  of  their 
reports  makes  interesting  the  long  quotations 
that  follow. 

-  Mr.  Krehbiel,  in  the  “Tribune”  of  May  23, 
presented  a  sketch  of  the  character  and  genesis 
of  the  “Oratorio”  that  “better  than  any  other 
of  the  master’s  great  choral  works  .  .  .  discloses 
the  amiable  side  of  his  genius.” 

There  is  nothing  in  it  of  the  dramatic  power  which 
marks  the  Passion  music,  and  little  to  suggest  the 

55 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


amazing  contrapuntal  skill  which  makes  the  “  B  Minor 
Mass”  an  artistic  structure  comparable  with  the  Ca¬ 
thedral  at  Cologne  ;  but  it  is  full  of  ingratiating  glimpses 
into  the  ingenuous  fancy  of  the  old  master —  warm 
and  fecund,  though  informed  with  the  naivete  of  a 
child.  It  is  full  of  Christmas  happiness,  the  happiness 
of  children  contemplating  the  Holy  Child  and  the 
tributes  of  angelic  hosts  and  Eastern  kings.  In  struc¬ 
ture  it  is  like  the  “Passions.”  It  was  laid  out  on  the 
lines  of  the  old  mysteries,  and  it  preserves,  in  one 
number,  at  least,  a  relic  of  the  dramatic  mummery 
which  filled  the  churches  in  mediaeval  times.  And  this 
number  helps  to  accentuate  its  pastoral  simplicity. 

Mr.  Krehbiel’s  telegraphed  account  of  the 
first  day’s  sessions  of  the  Festival  from  which 
the  foregoing  extract  is  taken,  began:  — 

Bethlehem,  Penn.,  May  23.  This  little  town,  using 
the  adjective  as  a  term  of  endearment,  is  to-day  enjoy¬ 
ing  a  unique  experience,  which,  in  the  course  of  time, 
is  bound  to  give  it  also  a  unique  distinction.  A  century 
ago  travelers  came  here  by  the  score  to  study  the  quaint 
institutions  of  the  Moravian  settlement,  whose  reli¬ 
gious  zeal,  combined  with  industry  and  thrift,  had 
already  made  the  place  famous.  In  many  respects  the 
old  order  has  changed,  giving  place  to  the  new,  and 
to-day  visitors  are  here  by  the  hundred  to  attend  a 
three  days’  festival  of  Bach’s  music.  They  are  a  seri¬ 
ous-minded  folk,  these  visitors,  and  find  as  much  cause 
for  wonderment  as  did  their  predecessors  of  a  century 
ago,  and  rightly. 


56 


THE  SECOND  BACH  FESTIVAL 


The  Bach  Festival  is  as  great  an  anomaly  to-day  as 
were  the  Moravian  institutions  of  primitive  times,  and 
to  be  appreciated  ought  to  be  approached  in  a  similar 
spirit  of  reverence.  That  spirit,  however,  could  scarcely 
be  wanting  even  in  the  most  casual  observer.  The  town 
has  taken  a  holiday.  Sauntering  up  and  down  the 
shaded  streets  are  scores  of  men  and  women  carrying 
vocal  scores  of  Bach’s  music,  and,  the  weather  being 
warm,  the  social  attitude  of  the  community  unconven¬ 
tional,  and  the  purpose  of  the  multitude  one,  singers 
and  visitors  are  all  in  festal  garb  and  festal  mood. 

The  Second  Festival  of  the  Bach  Choir  has  begun, 
and  begun  auspiciously.  From  a  severely  critical  point 
of  view  the  doings  of  the  day  were  not  momentous ; 
but  the  severely  critical  point  of  view  is  not  that  which 
prevails.  The  feeling  is  rather  one  of  admiration  for 
the  spirit  which  could  prompt  such  an  undertaking, 
and  of  delight  in  the  harmonious  cooperation  of  the 
elements  concerned.  The  people  heard  the  “Christmas 
Oratorio”  to-day,  and  heard  it  under  circumstances 
which  made  the  occasion  more  than  a  mere  concert  of 
unfamiliar  music.  They  were  summoned  into  the  old 
church  by  a  choir  of  trombones  playing  a  famous  old 
German  chorale  in  the  belfry.  It  was  an  unconven¬ 
tional  summons,  but  a  lovely  one,  and  its  fitness  came 
with  particular  force  to  those  who  could  recognize  in 
it  the  music  of  a  gladsome  Christmas  hymn  that  Luther 
wrote  for  the  edification  of  his  own  children. 

In  the  performance  itself  there  were  other  reminders 
of  the  functions  which  gave  rise  to  the  music.  The 
audience  was  a  congregation  in  thought,  feeling,  and 


57 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 

conduct.  It  not  only  listened  to  the  glad  musical  tid¬ 
ings,  but  participated  in  their  proclamations.  All  the 
hymns  interspersed  in  the  oratorio  were  sung  by  the 
people,  who  rose  to  their  feet  for  each  occasion.  I  had 
seen  the  experiment  tried  years  before  at  a  perform¬ 
ance  of  Bach’s  “  St.  Matthew’s  Passion  ”  in  Boston, 
but  what  was  a  failure  then  was  a  triumphant  success 
here.  There  the  chorales  were  musical  compositions 
which  had  to  be  laboriously  read  at  sight  by  those  who 
essayed  to  sing.  Here,  so  far  as  the  tunes  were  con¬ 
cerned,  they  were  as  household  words  to  the  over¬ 
whelming  majority  of  the  listeners,  and  the  refreshment 
which  they  brought  was  as  great  as  the  artistic  enjoy¬ 
ment  was  keen. 

The  forces,  a  choir  of  something  above  a  hundred 
voices  and  an  orchestra  of  half  the  number,  occupied 
the  organ  gallery  in  the  rear  of  the  church,  and  follow¬ 
ing  the  example  of  Bach,  Mr.  J.  Fred  Wolle  conducted 
and  also  played  the  accompaniments  to  the  recited 
narrative  on  a  pianoforte.  This  distribution  of  the 
forces,  the  fact  that  the  work  was  given  in  its  integrity, 
and  the  serious  spirit  in  which  the  work  was  given  and 
received  (the  approval  of  the  audience  being  manifested 
in  its  active  participation  in  the  hymns  instead  of  ap¬ 
plause)  stamped  the  affair  with  a  character  absolutely 
unique  in  the  history  of  choral  festivals  in  America. 

Mr.  Henderson,  whose  report  appeared  in  the 
“New  York  Times”  and  the  old  “  Philadelphia 
Times”  of  May  24,  declared:  — 


58 


THE  SECOND  BACH  FESTIVAL 


There  are  passages  in  the  “Christmas  Oratorio” 
which  tax  the  sustaining  power  of  the  most  skilled 
body  of  singers,  but  these  Moravian  choristers  dis¬ 
posed  of  them  with  an  equanimity  and  a  successful  treat¬ 
ment  of  long  and  involved  ornamental  phrases,  seldom 
equalled  and  certainly  not  excelled.  This,  it  must  be 
said,  is  the  result  of  long  and  arduous  rehearsal.  To¬ 
day  witnessed  the  fruits  of  Mr.  Wolle’s  careful  culti¬ 
vation  of  his  forces.  They  did  the  work  for  which  he 
had  prepared  them  and  they  did  it  well.  .  .  . 

The  audience  was  most  attentive,  and  the  effect  of 
the  performance  in  the  quaint  old  church,  with  the 
western  sun  streaming  through  the  windows,  and  the 
faint  echoes  of  the  town  murmuring  a  pedal  point,  was 
all  that  the  most  devoted  lover  of  Bach  could  wish. 
The  atmosphere  of  a  service  was  excellently  preserved, 
and  only  the  hot  weather  prevented  one  from  fancying 
himself  not  far  from  the  Thomas  Church  of  Leipsic. 

To-morrow,  when  the  music  is  less  unfamiliar,  there 
will  be  wider  opportunity  to  study  the  precise  value  of 
the  festival.  But  there  need  be  no  hesitation  in  saying 
now,  that  it  is  a  remarkable  achievement  for  Bethlehem. 
The  performance  occupied  just  four  hours,  two  each 
session,  but  the  effect  was  not  at  all  tiresome.  As  at  Bay¬ 
reuth,  the  interval  for  dinner  refreshed  the  spirit  as  well 
as  the  body.  The  scenes  around  the  church  and  in  the 
streets  also  reminded  one  of  the  shrine  of  Wagnerism. 
People  came  and  went  bareheaded  and  stood  in  social 
groups  to  hear  the  trombones  in  the  belfry  play  the 
choral  summons  to  the  performance.  To-night  it  seemed 
as  if  half  the  young  people  of  the  town  must  have  as- 


59 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


sembled  around  the  church  to  hear  the  music  without 
charge.  The  singing  of  the  chorales  by  the  audience  was 
fairly  successful. 

The  “St.  Matthew  Passion,”  sung  on  the  sec¬ 
ond  day  of  the  Festival,  did  not  engage  attention 
by  virtue  of  novelty  as  did  the  first  day’s  offering. 
But  this  “  greatest  of  the  three  Passions  which 
survive  of  the  five  Bach  wrote,”  furnished  the 
Bethlehem  singers  a  more  gracious  opportunity 
than  the  “  Christmas  Oratorio.”  The  way  in 
which  they  carried  it  through  is  shown  in  the 
tone  of  all  of  the  criticisms. 

Mr.  Henry  Gordon  Thunder,  the  Philadelphia 
conductor,  writing  in  the  “  Philadelphia  North 
American,”  compared  the  rendition  with  that  of 
the  preceding  day:  — 

The  work  itself  is  greater,  more  sublime,  and,  as  said 
above,  the  performance  also  reached  a  higher  plane  of 
perfection.  The  magnificent  chorus  still  carried  off  the 
first  honors  easily  for  its  enthusiastic  conductor,  T.  Fred 
Wolle. 

The  difficult  and  most  expressive  initial  number, 
“Come,  ye  daughters,”  for  double  chorus,  boy  choir, 
organ  and  orchestra,  was  truly  grand.  The  antiphonal 
effect  of  the  two  choirs  on  opposite  sides  of  the  church, 
while  the  boys  sang  the  chorale  in  unison,  was  one  of 

60 


THE  SECOND  BACH  FESTIVAL 


the  most  thrilling  performances  of  choral  work  that  can 
be  imagined. 

Mr.  Harvey  M.  Watts,  now  of  the  “Philadel¬ 
phia  Public  Ledger  ”  staff,  then  with  the  “  Phila¬ 
delphia  Press,”  wrote:  — 

Mr.  Wolle,  by  the  extraordinary  drill  which  he  has 
given  the  choir,  and  the  choir,  by  the  more  extraordi¬ 
nary  patience  which  it  has  shown  in  becoming  letter  and 
note  perfect  in  the  music,  have  completely  overcome  all 
difficulties  so  far  as  the  local  forces  go  and  meet  all  the 
emergencies  of  range  and  pitch  and  theme  and  dynamics, 
but  to  solve  them. 

In  his  review  in  “The  Musician,”  Mr.  Fred¬ 
eric  S.  Law  said:  — 

Mr.  Wolle’s  choir  pursued  their  way  unfalteringly, 
keeping  on  the  same  high  plane  throughout.  The  short 
choruses,  the  so-called  Turbae,  representing  the  popu¬ 
lace,  especially  the  bloodthirsty  cry  of  “  Barabbas  !  ” 
were  delivered  with  a  dramatic  fervor  and  clearly  cut 
outline  which  left  nothing  to  be  desired. 

Then  there  was  Mr.  Henderson’s  comment  in 
the  “New  York  Times”:  — 

Three  days  of  Bach  madness  would  be  impossible 
in  New  York  or  Philadelphia.  Here  it  seems  natural. 
There  does  not  seem  to  be  any  reason  why  one  should 
not  drop  into  Bethlehem  any  day  and  hear  perform¬ 
ances  of  Bach  going  on  in  the  Moravian  Church,  with 

6l 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


the  white-gowned  women  singing  out  their  hearts,  the 
oboes  and  flutes  piping  their  restful  measures,  the  strings 
weaving  their  endless  web  of  polyphony,  the  organ  dron¬ 
ing  its  ground  bass,  and  Mr.  Wolle  conducting  with 
streaming  brow  and  quivering  hands.  The  lovely  natu¬ 
ralness  of  it  all  speaks  volumes  for  the  soundness  of  the 
musical  taste  in  Bethlehem.  Those  who  have  come  to 
this  festival  will  go  away  refreshed  and  strengthened  in 
their  musical  faith,  and  there  is  no  reason  why  the  Bach 
performances  here  should  not  become  an  annual  feature. 

The  performance  of  the  “  St.  Matthew  Passion  ”  to¬ 
day  was  a  notable  achievement.  It  had  moments  of 
real  greatness,  and  these,  of  course,  were  in  the  work 
of  the  ensemble.  Mr.  Wolle,  who  appears  to  be  a  pupil 
of  the  Rheinberger  school  of  Bach  interpretation,  be¬ 
lieves  in  letting  the  music  make  its  own  effect,  except 
in  closing  cadences,  to  which  he  invariably  applies  a 
ritardando.  This  becomes  monotonous  in  the  course 
of  a  long  performance.  The  different  ideas  of  the  solo¬ 
ists  in  regard  to  the  employment  of  the  appoggiatura 
are  confusing,  and  it  would  add  much  to  the  general 
effect  of  Bach  performances  if  a  tradition  were  estab¬ 
lished  in  regard  to  this  matter.  A  careful  study  of  the 
harmonic  basis  would  provide  satisfactory  grounds  for 
decisions  as  to  its  use.  In  to-day’s  performance  one 
soloist  used  the  appoggiatura  constantly  and  two  others 
not  at  all. 

Mr.  Krehbiel’s  “Tribune”  account  contained 
the  words  already  quoted  about  the  manner  in 
which  “Mr.  Wolle’s  singers  accomplished  mir- 

62 


THE  SECOND  BACH  FESTIVAL 


acles  to-day.”  It  contained  also  queries  as  to  some 
of  Dr.  Wolle’s  readings,  —  the  tempo,  the  “broad 
ritardando”  and  “treating  every  appoggiatura  in 
the  instrumental  parts  as  an  acciaccatura.” 

A  discussion  of  the  historical  background  of 
the  “B  Minor  Mass”  as  presented  by  Mr.  Hen¬ 
derson  in  his  report  on  the  1915  Bach  Festival  at 
Lehigh  University,  is  quoted  later  in  this  volume. 
His  special  dispatch  to  the  “New  York  Times” 
and  the  “Philadelphia  Times,”  upon  the  rendi¬ 
tion  of  the  Mass  at  the  second  Festival  began  :  — 

Bethlehem,  May  25.  The  Bach  Festival  came  to  an 
end  to-night  in  the  Moravian  Church  with  the  second 
complete  performance  here  of  the  “B  Minor  Mass.” 
The  first  was  given  on  March  27,  1 900,  when  the  soloists 
were  Miss  Katherin  Hilke,  soprano ;  Mrs.  W.  L.  Estes, 
contralto;  Nicholas  Douty,  tenor;  and  Arthur  Beres- 
ford,  bass.  Miss  Lucy  Brickenstein,  of  Bethlehem,  sang 
the  secondary  soprano  parts.  She  and  Messrs.  Douty 
and  Beresford  sang  again  to-night.  The  new  soloists 
were  Miss  Sara  Anderson,  soprano,  and  Miss  Gertrude 
May  Stein,  contralto. 

The  thunderstorms  of  last  night  were  followed  by  a 
steady  downpour  of  cold  rain  which  has  lasted  all  day 
and  driven  away  the  discomforting  weather  conditions 
of  yesterday.  Inside  the  church  it  has  been  comfortable. 
But  the  storm  has  deprived  the  festival  of  its  attractive 
outdoor  features.  The  streets  have  been  deserted  and 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


the  picturesque  externals  of  the  two  previous  days  have 
been  lacking.  Nevertheless  the  interpretation  of  the 
“Mass”  this  afternoon  and  this  evening  brought  the 
festival  to  an  imposing  climax. 

A  paragraph  about  the  musical  traditions  of 
the  Moravians  closed  as  follows:  — 

They  have  found  here  an  organist  and  conductor  to 
whom  Bach  is  the  very  milk  of  human  existence,  and 
who  studies  his  works  as  his  father  did  before  him. 
Mr.  Wolle,  the  moving  spirit  of  this  remarkable  fes¬ 
tival,  is  a  son  of  the  Lehigh  Valley,  and  though  he 
completed  his  musical  education  abroad,  he  laid  the 
foundations  of  it  here  upon  the  Bach  chorale  and  the 
Moravian  hymn. 

For  him  to-night  furnished  a  Herculean  task  and 
crowned  a  notable  triumph.  He  is  an  exhausted  but 
happy  man.  He  has  not  spent  his  strength  in  vain,  and 
those  who  have  watched  his  work  have  realized  that  he 
is  a  powerful  and  important  musical  force.  His  scholar¬ 
ship  is  solid,  his  technical  knowledge  full,  his  skill  as 
a  leader  admirable,  and  his  magnetism  unquestionable. 
With  all  these  conditions  the  performance  of  the  great 
“Mass”  could  not  fail  to  be  impressive. 

The  tonal  quality  of  the  chorus  had  more  fault  to-day 
than  it  has  had  heretofore,  and  the  singers  made  their 
first  serious  error  when  the  basses  missed  the  entrance 
beat  in  the  “  Gratias  Agimus.”  But  these  defects  were 
forgotten  in  the  splendor  of  the  ensemble.  Anything 
more  inspiring  than  the  delivery  of  the  “Cum  Sancto 
Spiritu,”  it  would  be  impossible  to  conceive.  It  was 

64 


THE  SECOND  BACH  FESTIVAL 


magnificent  in  the  vital  throbbing  of  its  beat,  in  the 
growth  of  its  tone  from  beginning  to  end,  and  in  the 
breadth  of  its  style.  It  brought  the  afternoon  session 
to  a  moving  end. 

“The  excellence  of  the  performances  has 
spiked  the  guns  of  criticism,”  wrote  Mr.  Kreh- 
biel  in  the  “  New  York  Tribune.”  In  the  letter 
Mr.  Krehbiel  sent  as  special  correspondent  of  the 
“Musical  Times,”  of  London,  England,  which 
appeared  in  that  journal  on  July  i,  1901,  he 
closed  :  — 

In  every  respect  the  festival  was  a  most  memorable 
and  delightful  affair.  Bethlehem  became,  for  the  nonce, 
a  Bach  Bayreuth.  The  town  is  one  of  idyllic  beauty, 
and  it  was  filled  with  enthusiasts.  The  meetings  took 
place  in  the  church  to  which  the  listeners,  including  a 
large  number  of  musicians  from  far-away  places,  were 
summoned  by  the  music  of  the  trombone  choir.  Two 
concerts  were  given  each  day,  the  works  being  divided 
so  that  they  could  be  heard  in  their  integrity  without 
weariness;  and  the  chorales  were  sung  by  the  congre¬ 
gation  as  well  as  the  choir.  The  choir  was  letter-perfect 
in  the  music  (so  perfect,  indeed,  that  for  a  time  Mr. 
Wolle  seriously  thought  of  having  the  “Mass”  sung 
without  book),  and  the  participation  of  the  congrega¬ 
tion  in  the  chorales  stimulated  the  interest  marvelously. 
This  device,  which  I  had  seen  attempted  in  the  perform¬ 
ance  of  the  “  Passion”  long  years  before,  in  Boston,  but 

65 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


without  success,  was  entirely  successful  in  Bethlehem, 
where  so  many  of  the  beautiful  old  Lutheran  hymns 
were  familiar  as  household  words  to  a  large  element 
of  the  community.  The  enterprise  was  conducted  with 
modesty  and  decorum,  and  its  artistic  significance  was 
set  down  by  the  visiting  critics  from  New  York  and 
Philadelphia  in  words  of  enthusiastic  praise.  Nothing 
finer  has  ever  been  done  to  develop  a  Bach  cult  in 
America. 

Another  account  of  the  Festival  that  went 
abroad  was  that  of  Professor  A.  A.  Stanley,  Di¬ 
rector  of  the  University  of  Michigan  School  of 
Music,  in  the  August  issue  of  the  “Zeitschrift 
der  Internationalen  Musikgesellschaft.”  Extracts 
follow  :  — 

Rhythmic  clearness,  promptness  of  attack,  —  in  spite 
of  one  or  two  minor  lapses,  —  and  purity  of  intonation 
characterized  the  chorus  work  throughout  the  whole 
series  of  performances. 

Of  Mr.  Wolle’s  conception  of  the  music  it  is  suffi¬ 
cient  to  say  that  none  but  a  fine  musician  and  an  earnest 
student  of  Bach  could  have  so  thoroughly  mastered  his 
style.  Some  of  the  visiting  musicians  did  not  approve  of 
the  tempi  unreservedly,  but  as  this  depends  so  largely 
on  individual  taste,  on  temperament,  and  the  conditions 
attending  performance  little  stress  should  be  laid  on  this 
criticism,  as  it  applied  to  but  one  or  two  numbers  and 
in  the  judgment  of  the  writer  he  displayed  unusual  dis¬ 
cretion  in  this  respect. 


66 


THE  THIRD  BACH  FESTIVAL 


For  the  completeness  of  the  record,  the  full 
list  of  soloists  is  added  :  — 

Sopranos  :  Mrs.  Mary  Hissem  DeMoss,  Mrs.  Marie 
Zimmerman,  Miss  Sara  Anderson,  Miss  Lucy  A. 
Brickenstein. 

Contralto  :  Miss  Gertrude  May  Stein. 

Tenors  :  Mr.  Evan  Williams,  Mr.  Ellison  van 
H  oose,  Mr.  Nicholas  Douty. 

Basses:  Mr.  Joseph  S.  Baernstein,  Mr.  Henri  G. 
Scott,  Mr.  Arthur  Beresford. 

THE  THIRD  BACH  FESTIVAL,  I903 

The  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  the  corner¬ 
stone  laying  of  the  Moravian  Church,  coming 
approximately  at  the  time  of  the  third  Bach 
Festival,  served  to  stress  the  religious  significance 
of  the  programme  then  presented.  It  was  a  pro¬ 
gramme  “  beautifully  artistic  in  its  arrangement 
of  the  music  as  an  embodiment  of  faith.”  The 
six ‘days  of  combined  devotion  and  music  were 
as  follows :  — 

Monday ,  May  11,  8  p.m.  “Sleepers  wake,  for  night 
is  flying”;  “  Magnificat.” 

Tuesday,  May  12,  4  p.m.  “Christmas  Oratorio,” 
Parts  I,  II,  and  III. 

Tuesday ,  May  12,  8  p.m.  “Christmas  Oratorio,” 
Parts  IV,  V,  and  VI. 


67 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


JVednesday ,  May  13,8  p.m.  Second  “  Brandenburg 
Concerto  Grosso.”  “  Strike,  oh,  strike,  long-looked-for 
hour”;  cantata  for  alto  voice.  “I  with  my  cross-staff 
gladly  wander”;  cantata  for  bass  voice. 

' Thursday ,  May  14,  4  p.m.  The  “Passion  of  our 
Lord,  according  to  St.  Matthew,”  Part  I. 

'Thursday )  May  14,  8  p.m.  The  “  Passion  of  our 
Lord,  according  to  St.  Matthew,”  Part  II. 

Friday ,  May  15,  8  p.m.  “The  Heavens  laugh,  the 
Earth  itself  rejoices,  and  budding  nature  bursts  in 
song  ”  ;  the  Easter  cantata.  “  God  goeth  up  with  shout¬ 
ing  ”  ;  the  Ascension  cantata. 

Saturday ,  May  16,  1  p.m.  The  “  Mass  in  B  Minor,” 
“  Kyrie  ”  and  “Gloria.” 

Saturday ,  May  16,  6  p.m.  The  “  Mass  in  B  Minor,” 
beginning  with  the  “  Credo.” 

The  soloists  were :  — 

Monday.  Sopranos,  Miss  Effie  Stewart,  Miss  Lucy 
A.  Brickenstein  ;  alto,  Miss  Marguerite  Hall ;  tenor, 
Mr.  John  Young;  bass,  Mr.  Herbert  Witherspoon. 

Tuesday.  Sopranos,  Miss  Effie  Stewart,  Miss  Lucy 
A.  Brickenstein  ;  alto,  Miss  Marguerite  Hall ;  tenor, 
Mr.  Nicholas  Douty  ;  bass,  Mr.  Herbert  Witherspoon. 

Wednesday.  Alto,  Miss  Marguerite  Hall;  bass,  Mr. 
Julian  Walker. 

Thursday.  Soprano,  Mrs.  Mary  Hissem  DeMoss; 
alto,  Mrs.  Gertrude  May  Stein;  tenor,  Mr.  Nicholas 
Douty;  basses,  Mr.  Julian  Walker,  Mr.  Herbert 
Witherspoon. 

Friday.  Soprano,  Miss  Rebecca  MacKenzie ;  alto, 

68 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR  OF  1903  AT  THE  MORAVIAN  CHURCH 


THE  THIRD  BACH  FESTIVAL 


Mrs.  W.  L.  Estes;  tenor,  Mr.  Theodore  Van  Yorx; 
bass,  Mr.  Julian  Walker. 

Saturday .  Soprano,  Mrs.  Marie  Zimmerman ;  alto, 
Mrs.  Gertrude  May  Stein;  tenor,  Mr.  Theodore  Van 
Yorx;  bass,  Mr.  Julian  Walker. 

There  was  some  difference  in  opinion  as  to 
the  degree  in  which  the  renditions  maintained 
the  devotional  spirit  of  the  Festival  thought. 
Writing  in  the  “New  York  Sun,”  of  which 
he  had  become  Music  Editor,  Mr.  Henderson 
charged,  in  his  account  of  the  “  Christmas  Ora¬ 
torio,”  that  there  was  a  lack  of  this  spirit :  — 

In  its  stead  there  was  a  restless  eagerness,  a  certain 
anxiety  to  accomplish  things.  The  feeling  was  strictly 
that  of  people  giving  a  performance  before  an  audience 
in  the  hope  of  earning  praise,  not  that  of  a  choir  lead¬ 
ing  a  congregation  in  the  functions  of  worship. 

Mr.  Richard  Aldrich,  who  was  hearing  the 
Bethlehem  Choir  at  this  Festival  for  the  first 
time,  thus  expressed  his  impression  of  the  “  St. 
Matthew  Passion”  in  the  “New  York  Times” 
of  May  i  5  :  — 

The  reverence  and  religious  decorum,  the  intimacy 
of  the  whole  effect,  the  feeling  of  personal  participation 
on  the  part  of  the  congregation,  were  the  most  striking 
features  of  it. 


69 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


Mr.  Aldrich  closed  this  telegraphic  report  to 
the  “  New  York  Times,”  which  appeared  also  in 
the  “  Philadelphia  Public  Ledger,”  as  follows:  — 

The  singing  of  the  chorus  to-night  showed  it  at  its 
best.  It  knew  the  work  thoroughly,  and  it  showed 
more  finish,  more  shading  and  potent  expressiveness 
and  more  beauty  of  tone  than  in  some  of  the  previous 
sessions.  The  incisive  quality  and  the  volume  of  tone 
were  more  in  evidence,  as  has  heretofore  been  the  case, 
than  some  of  the  subtler  qualities  of  fine  choral  sing¬ 
ing,  delicacy  of  shading,  nice  adjustment  of  dynamic 
values  and  beauty  of  quality.  Yet  there  were  times  when 
there  was  deep  impressiveness  gained  through  these  very 
qualities,  as  in  the  opening  chorus  of  lamentation,  with 
the  chorale  melody  sounding  above  and  through  it,  and 
the  final  chorus  of  the  first  part  was  treated  with  a 
lofty  eloquence  of  tenderness.  There  was  not  only  clear¬ 
ness  in  the  utterance  of  the  many  voiced  polyphonv, 
but  there  was  a  realization  of  the  exquisite  sense  of  color 
that  guided  the  old  master  in  his  work.  .  .  . 

Sharpness  of  outline,  clearness  and  precision  were 
there  sometimes  like  the  snap  of  a  whip.  Such  effects 
as  those  of  the  “thunder  and  lightning”  chorus  were 
of  course  not  allowed  to  fail;  but,  alas!  Mr.  Wolle’s 
unalterable  principle  of  retarding  the  movement  for 
every  close  was  not  suspended. 

Out  of  the  objections  by  the  critics  to  retarded 
cadences  and  other  points  of  interpretation  arose 
a  controversy  to  which  fuel  was  added  by  com- 


7° 


THE  THIRD  BACH  FESTIVAL 


ments  upon  the  singing  at  which  some  of  the 
singers  and  their  friends  took  offense.  This  con¬ 
troversy  will  here  receive  a  report  as  brief  and 
impartial  as  possible. 

In  their  accounts  of  the  1901  programme, 
Mr.  Krehbiel,  of  the  “  Tribune,”  and  Mr.  Hen¬ 
derson,  then  of  the  “Times,”  had  remonstrated 
mildly  at  Dr.  Wolle’s  frequent  use  of  “a  broad 
ritardando,”  in  the  former’s  words,  and  also  ques¬ 
tioned  “the  tempi  of  certain  choral  passages,”  as 
Mr.  Henderson  expressed  it.  At  the  third  Festi¬ 
val  they  entered  strong  protests. 

Mr.  Henderson  wrote  in  the  “Sun”  of  May 
24,  1903:  — 

Mr.  Wolle’s  chief  offense  was  the  use  of  the  musical 
device  known  as  the  ritardando  on  every  cadence.  .  .  . 
In  one  place  in  the  performance  of  the  “St.  Matthew 
Passion”  he  began  a  ritardando  eleven  measures  before 
the  end  of  the  section.  In  the  first  thirty  minutes  of 
the  performance  he  made  twenty-six  ritardandi.  Mr. 
Wolle  says  this  is  the  right  way  to  perform  the  music 
of  Bach.  S'ome  other  persons  do  not  agree  with  him. 
In  Bethlehem  people  do  not  know  that  any  one  except 
Mr.  Wolle  is  acquainted  with  the  music  of  Bach.  They 
have  never  heard  the  great  authorities  on  the  subject. 
Mr.  Wolle,  they  say,  has  devoted  his  entire  life  to  the 


71 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


study  of  this  music.  How,  then,  can  any  one  else  dare 
to  criticize  him  unfavorably  ? 

In  his  articles  in  the  “  Tribune,”  Mr.  Kreh- 
biel  went  into  a  discussion,  among  other  objec¬ 
tions,  of  what  he  termed  “Mr.  Wolle’s  infatua¬ 
tion  for  interrupting  the  flow  of  music  at  every 
half  cadence,”  and  quoted  Moritz  Hauptmann, 
President  of  the  Bachgesellschaft :  “  In  the  case 
of  old  music  it  is  the  rule  to  slow  up  a  little  be¬ 
fore  the  last  chord,  but  only  at  the  final  close, 
the  end  of  the  piece.  Retardations  at  other  closes 
occurring  in  the  progress  of  the  piece  are  intol¬ 
erable  to  me.  .  .  .  Crescendo  and  diminuendo  are 
good  and  beautiful,  but  only  where  they  belong.” 

A  paragraph  from  Mr.  Aldrich’s  article  in  the 
“  New  York  Times,”  of  May  1 6,  said  :  — 

It  is  the  old,  familiar  festival  town  spirit,  and  it  has 
amused  some  of  the  experienced  ones  not  a  little  to  see 
Bethlehem  following  in  line  with,  say,  Worcester  and 
Cincinnati,  and  attempting  to  excommunicate  all  who 
animadvert  candidly,  even  if  in  kindly  spirit,  on  its 
work.  The  most  appreciative  and  amiable  fare  no  bet¬ 
ter  than  the  rest,  so  they  have  only  intimated  that  all 
was  not  quite  as  it  should  be.  Yet  with  all  the  admira¬ 
tion  that  the  Bach  Choir  can  command,  there  must  be  a 
pointing  out  of  things  that  are  not  as  they  should  be. 


72 


THE  THIRD  BACH  FESTIVAL 


The  criticisms  of  which  the  foregoing  extracts 
are  fairly  typical  and  a  dispatch  of  Mr.  Hender¬ 
son  in  which  he  said,  for  example,  that  “  the 
basses  at  times  growled  like  beasts,”  aroused  feel¬ 
ings  in  Bethlehem  that  received  expression  in 
articles  in  the  local  newspapers.  A  defender  not 
local  was  the  “  Outlook,”  which  deprecated  edi¬ 
torially  the  accounts  of  “certain  New  York 
critics”  which  were  termed  “censorious  and 
patronizing  by  turns  .  .  .  altogether  valueless  as 
interpretations  of  the  festival.  .  .  .  Musically,  the 
most  praiseworthy  work  was  done  by  the  local 
singers  and  players ;  and  in  proportion  as  the 
visiting  professional  soloists  caught  the  spirit  of 
these  amateurs  they  contributed  to  the  real  effec¬ 
tiveness  of  the  festival.” 

As  far  as  the  Bethlehem  forces  are  concerned, 
they  now  apparently  wish  the  episode  relegated 
to  the  Wordsworthian  category  of 

“  old,  unhappy,  far-off  things 
And  battles  long  ago.” 

And  the  critics  who,  at  the  invitation  of  Mr. 
Schwab,  have  resumed  attendance  at  the  Festi¬ 
vals  being  held  at  Lehigh,  now  apparently  have 

73 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


also  resumed  something  of  their  earlier  friendli¬ 
ness  to  the  Festival  enterprise. 

The  viewpoints  of  other  writers  are  interest¬ 
ing.  Mr.  Frederick  R.  Burton,  in  special  corre¬ 
spondence  to  the  “  Boston  Evening  Transcript,” 
May  1 6,  1903,  said:  — 

The  chorus  has  been  the  tower  of  strength.  At  first 
the  apprehension  due  to  the  magnitude  of  the  event 
and  the  appalling  presence  of  men  in  the  audience  who 
are  generously  supposed  to  know  everything,  led  to  a 
nervous  rendering  of  the  music.  That  is  to  say,  lights 
and  shades  were  forgotten  in  a  strenuous  endeavor  to 
get  the  notes  out  on  time.  It  was  for  the  most  part 
splendid  shouting,  but  it  was  splendid  at  that  and  often 
most  exhilarating  and  impressive.  Before  the  week  was 
old  there  was  manifest  much  better  control  on  the  part 
of  the  singers  and  conductor  alike,  and  sentiment  as 
well  as  determination  was  manifested  in  the  voices.  The 
solo  singers  have  been  very  uneven.  .  .  . 

Although  I  have  avoided  detailed  criticism  it  is  no 
more  than  fair  to  mention  those  solo  singers  who  have 
made  worthy  contributions  to  the  week’s  work.  Con¬ 
spicuous  among  them  are  the  tenors,  Nicholas  Douty 
and  Theodore  Van  Yorx,  both  of  whom  not  only  are 
well  equipped  vocally  for  the  exacting  tasks  that  Bach 
imposes  on  tenors,  but  mentally  endowed  also  to  meet 
the  demands  of  the  interpretation.  Mr.  Douty,  in  ad¬ 
dition  to  the  parts  for  which  he  was  engaged,  substi¬ 
tuted  for  William  H.  Rieger  in  the  Passion  at  a  day’s 

74 


THE  THIRD  BACH  FESTIVAL 


notice.  It  is  said  that  the  part  was  wholly  new  to  him, 
but  he  sang  it  like  a  veteran,  excellently.  Other  artists 
who  will  be  remembered  gratefully  are  the  basses,  Ju¬ 
lian  Walker  and  Herbert  Witherspoon  ;  the  contraltos, 
Gertrude  May  Stein  and  Marguerite  Hall,  and  the  so¬ 
prano,  Mrs.  Hissem  DeMoss. 

Mr.  H.  Brooks  Day,  Fellow  American  Guild 
of  Organists,  contributed  a  report  to  the  “  Church 
Standard,”  in  which  he  said  of  the  “St.  Matthew 
Passion  ”  rendition  :  “  The  chorus  seemed  almost 
faultless.  The  singers  have  absorbed  this  music  ”  ; 
and  of  Dr.  Wolle,  this  :  — 

Without  his  enthusiasm  and  ability  this  festival  and 
the  others  in  the  past  would  not  have  been.  To  some 
who  may  read  the  papers  it  may  seem  as  if  things  were 
not  as  they  should  be;  but  to  good  musicians,  some 
of  us  who  have  given  much  time  to  music,  have  heard 
and  played  “  much  Bach,”  have  been  across  seas  and 
over  lands  in  quest  of  the  divine  art,  to  such  —  to  those 
who  “  know  music  ”  and  its  difficulties  —  can  Mr.  Wolle 
look  for  thanks,  for  the  reason  that  he  has  gone  down 
into  the  inexhaustible  gold-mine  of  Bach’s  works,  and 
shown  some  of  them  to  the  world  —  and  this  is  more 
than  any  other  conductor  in  America  can  say.  It  is 
easy  to  find  fault;  but  to  the  conductor  of  this  festival 
only  praise  is  due.  Its  effect  as  an  educator  and  an  im¬ 
pulse  to  art  will  be  very  considerable. 


75 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


Miss  Mary  M.  Howard,  Music  Editor  of  the 
“Buffalo  Express,”  wrote:  — 

It  would  be  hard  to  find  anywhere  a  chorus  that  can 
sing  music  of  equal  difficulty  with  such  generally  flaw¬ 
less  intonation,  such  rhythmic  certainty,  surer  attacks, 
and,  above  all,  with  more  reverential  appreciation  of 
the  sentiment  and  spirit  of  text  and  music.  The  endur¬ 
ance  of  the  voices  is  wonderful.  At  the  end  of  the  week 
they  seemed  as  fresh  and  true  as  at  the  beginning.  Some 
of  the  chorales  were  given  with  most  lovely  shading  and 
some  of  the  choruses,  such  as  Glory  to  God  in  the 
Highest,  from  the  Christmas  Oratorio,  stand  out  as  a 
thrilling  and  splendid  achievement  in  choral  singing. 

THE  FOURTH  BACH  FESTIVAL,  DECEMBER,  1 904 

Of  interest  as  a  definition  of  Dr.  Wolle’s  aim 
in  the  Bach  Cycle  of  1904-05  is  the  official  an¬ 
nouncement  made  early  in  October,  1904.  Dr. 
Wolle  stated :  — 

There  will  be  a  cycle  of  J.  S.  Bach’s  works,  in  de¬ 
sign  not  unlike  the  three  Bach  festivals  held  here  in 
1900-01  and  1903.  The  cycle  will  comprise  nine  days 
of  music,  afternoon  and  evening,  but  instead  of  con¬ 
tinuing  through  nine  consecutive  days,  as  on  the  former 
occasions,  they  will  be  divided  into  three  festivals  of 
three  days  each. 

The  attempt  this  year  is  to  bring  the  works  under 
consideration  to  a  hearing,  as  nearly  as  possible,  to  the 

76 


THE  FOURTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 


day  for  which  they  were  originally  written.  With  this 
in  view  the  works  contemplated  for  production  natu¬ 
rally  group  themselves  into  three  grand  divisions,  re¬ 
ferring,  as  they  do,  to  the  prophecy  and  birth,  passion 
and  death,  and  resurrection  and  ascension  of  the  Lord. 
Thus  the  scheme  divides  itself  into  a  Christmas,  a 
Lenten,  and  an  Easter  section.  The  Christmas  Festival 
will  be  given  in  the  Moravian  Church,  December  28, 
29,  and  30.  The  second  and  third  divisions  of  the  cycle 
will  follow,  the  former  in  the  early  and  the  latter  in  the 
late  spring,  1905. 

The  choir  which  numbered  one  hundred  and 
ten  singers  at  the  third  Festival  had  now  grown 
to  a  membership  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-four. 
The  orchestra  included  about  sixty  amateurs. 

The  programme  of  the  Christmas  Festival, 
given  Wednesday,  December  28,  Thursday,  De¬ 
cember  29,  and  Friday,  December  30,  was  as 
follows :  — 

Wednesday,  4  P.M.  I.  The  cantata,  “  How  brightly 
shines  the  morning  star.”  II.  “  Magnificat.” 

Wednesday ,  8  p.m.  Parts  I  and  II  of  the  “Christmas 
Oratorio.” 

' Thursday ,  4  p.m.  I.  The  cantata,  “O  Jesus  Christ, 
Light  of  my  Life.”  II.  “The  Lord  is  a  Sun  and 
Shield.” 

‘Thursday ,  8  p.m.  Parts  III  and  IV  of  the  “  Christmas 
Oratorio.” 


77 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


Friday,  4  p.m.  I.  Suite  in  B  Minor  for  orchestra. 
II.  Motet  for  unaccompanied  double  chorus,  “  Sing  ye 
to  the  Lord  a  new-made  song.”  III.  Second  Branden¬ 
burg  Concerto  for  orchestra. 

Friday ,  8  p.m.  Parts  V  and  VI  of  the  “  Christmas 
Oratorio.” 

The  soloists  were  :  — 

Sopranos,  Mrs.  Marie  K.  Zimmerman,  Miss  Lucy 
A.  Brickenstein,  and  Master  John  Eckroth;  contralto, 
Miss  Marguerite  Hall;  tenors,  Mr.  Nicholas  Douty 
and  Mr.  Edward  P.  Johnson;  basses,  Mr.  Julian 
Walker  and  Mr.  Howard  J.  Wiegner. 

A  report  which  embodied  the  spirit  of  this 
Christmas  Festival  was  that  which  appeared  in 
the  “Outlook”  of  January  7,  1905.  It  began  as 
follows :  — 

No  other  community  in  the  United  States,  probably, 
could  celebrate  the  Nativity  as  Bethlehem,  Pennsyl¬ 
vania,  celebrated  it  last  week.  On  Wednesday,  Thurs¬ 
day,  and  Friday  Bach’s  cheerful  and  moving  “  Christ¬ 
mas  Oratorio,”  interspersed  with  other  compositions  by 
Bach,  including  the  stirring  live-part  “  Magnificat”  and 
the  wonderful  unaccompanied  eight-part  motet  “Sing 
ye  to  the  Lord,”  was  given  in  the  Moravian  Church. 
The  chorus  consisted  of  the  Bach  Choir,  a  musical  in¬ 
stitution  of  which  the  whole  country  has  reason  to  be 
proud,  composed  of  voices  from  Bethlehem  and  neigh¬ 
boring  towns.  The  orchestra  consisted  mainly  of  ama¬ 
teur  players.  The  soloists,  with  two  or  three  exceptions, 

78 


THE  FOURTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 


were  professional  singers.  The  conductor  was  Dr.  J. 
Fred  Wolle,  whose  intimacy  with  the  works  of  Bach, 
whose  genius  for  leadership,  and  whose  unspoiled 
enthusiasm  made  this  festival  possible.  The  occasion 
was  genuinely  a  celebration  rather  than  a  performance. 
Technical  excellence  there  was,  especially  in  the  spirited 
singing  of  the  chorus,  every  member  of  which  sang  with 
heart  as  well  as  voice.  The  immensely  difficult  choral 
works  of  Bach,  so  far  from  discouraging  these  singers, 
have  awakened  in  them  an  ambition  that  has  increased 
with  every  year  since  the  Bach  Choir  was  organized. 
More  than  that,  they  have  created  in  Bethlehem  a  mu¬ 
sical  spirit  without  which  technical  excellence  is  as  a 
tinkling  cymbal.  It  is  doubtful  whether  anywhere  else 
in  America  the  emotional  quality  of  Bach’s  music  is 
interpreted  as  it  is  in  this  Pennsylvania  town. 

Occupying  the  entire  front  of  the  church  at 
the  Festival  were  Christmas  decorations  called, 
in  the  Bethlehem  vernacular,  a  “  putz.”  The 
putz  is  primarily  a  representation  of  the  Nativity 
scene.  In  private  households  there  are  often  elab¬ 
orate  arrangements  of  mountains,  lakes,  streams, 
bridges,  villages,  and  anachronistic  railroads  along 
with  the  group  of  Wise  Men  at  the  manger.  Out- 
of-town  attendants  at  the  fourth  Festival  found 
it  interesting,  between  sessions,  to  join  in  the  local 
practice  of  visiting  putzes.  The  writer  of  “  The 

79 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


Spectator”  department  in  the  “  Outlook ”  —  in 
this  instance  Dr.  Lyman  Abbott — was  one  of 
these  visitors,  and  he  gave  a  sketch  in  the  Janu¬ 
ary  14  issue  that  contained  paragraphs  about  the 
Bach  Festival:  — 

It  was  strictly  a  festival,  a  celebration.  Yet  though 
this  Bach  Festival,  like  those  which  have  preceded  it, 
owed  its  existence  to  conditions  which  were  created  by 
Moravian  traditions,  it  was  by  no  means  exclusively 
Moravian.  The  other  celebrations  —  the  putz  and  the 
love-feasts —  had  been  church  celebrations  ;  this  festival 
was  a  community  celebration.  The  Bach  Choir,  which 
is  a  permanent  chorus  of  some  six  score  voices,  has 
among  its  members  people  of  various  denominations. 
Hecktown  and  Shimersville  join  with  Nazareth  and 
Bethlehem  in  producing  this  fine  musical  institution. 
There  are  members  who  travel  fifteen  or  twenty  miles 
every  day  there  is  a  rehearsal.  The  old  Moravian 
Church  has  become  the  center  of  a  community  that  has 
a  genuine  enthusiasm  for  this  old  but  living  Protestant 
church  music. 

Dr.  Abbott  closed  his  article  with  the  hope 
that  “some  day  all  the  musical  people  of  America 
will  learn  to  prize  this  Bach  Choir  as  many  of 
them  do  already.” 

Musical  importance  was  attached  to  the  after¬ 
noon  performance  of  December  29  because  two 

80 


THE  FIFTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 

cantatas  never  before  heard  in  America  were 
then  given.  The  first  was  the  setting  of  a  choral 
melody  to  the  words  of  Johann  Hermann’s  hymn, 
“O  Jesus  Christ,  Light  of  my  Life,”  and  the 
second,  “The  Lord  is  a  Sun  and  Shield.” 

THE  FIFTH  BACH  FESTIVAL,  APRIL,  1905 

The  programme  and  the  soloists  at  the  fifth 
Festival,  the  second  festival  of  the  Bach  Cycle, 
held  Wednesday,  Thursday,  and  Friday,  April  i  2, 
1  3,  and  14,  1 905,  were  :  — 

Wednesday ,  4  p.m.  I.  “Jesus  sleeps,  what  hope  re- 
maineth  ?  ”  II.  “The  solemn  moment  is  impending.” 
Soprano,  Miss  Lucy  A.  Brickenstein  ;  contralto,  Mrs. 
Gertrude  Stein-Bailey ;  tenor,  Mr.  Nicholas  Douty  ; 
bass,  Mr.  Julian  Walker. 

Wednesday ,  8  p.m.  I.  “  I  with  my  cross-staff  gladly 
wander.”  II.  “  Strike,  O  strike,  long-looked-for  hour.” 
III.  “There  is  naught  of  soundness  within  my  body.” 
Soprano,  Mrs.  John  Leibert ;  contralto,  Mrs.  Gertrude 
Stein-Bailey;  tenor,  Mr.  Nicholas  Douty;  bass,  Mr. 
Julian  Walker. 

‘Thursday ,  4  p.m.  “  Passion”  music,  according  to  St. 
John.  Part  I.  Sopranos,  Mrs.  Mary  Hissem  DeMoss 
and  Miss  Lucy  A.  Brickenstein  ;  contralto,  Mrs.  Ger¬ 
trude  Stein-Bailey;  tenors,  Mr.  Nicholas  Douty,  the 
Reverend  S.  U.  Mitman,  and  Mr.  Elmer  J.  Bender; 
basses,  Mr.  Julian  Walker  and  Mr.  J.  Samuel  Wolle. 

81 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


Thursday ,  8  p.m.  “  Passion”  music,  according  to  St. 
John,  Part  II.  Soprano,  Mrs.  Mary  Hissem  DeMoss  ; 
contralto,  Mrs.  Gertrude  Stein-Bailey;  tenor,  Mr. 
Nicholas  Douty;  basses,  Mr.  Julian  Walker  and  Mr. 
Howard  J.  Wiegner. 

Friday ,  4  p.m.  I.  “  He  who  relies  on  God’s  com¬ 
passion.”  II.  “My  spirit  was  in  heaviness.”  Soprano, 
Mrs.  Mary  Hissem  DeMoss  ;  contralto,  Mrs.  Gertrude 
Stein-Bailey;  tenor,  Mr.  Nicholas  Douty;  bass,  Mr. 
Julian  Walker. 

Friday,  8  p.m.  Tombeau,  “  Ode  of  Mourning.”  So¬ 
prano,  Mrs.  Mary  Hissem  DeMoss  ;  contralto,  Mrs. 
Gertrude  Stein-Bailey  ;  tenor,  Mr.  Nicholas  Douty  ; 
bass,  Mr.  Julian  Walker. 

Mrs.  Nina  Pugh  Smith,  music  critic  of  the 
“  Cincinnati  Times-Star,”  in  writing  of  the  first 
day’s  sessions,  said  of  the  Choir:  — 

A  fine  tonal  body  is  the  chorus,  which,  numbering 
probably  one  hundred  and  fifteen,  produces  a  volume 
of  sound  of  almost  twice  as  many  singers.  The  four 
voice  parts  are  so  nicely  balanced  that  the  Bach  music, 
which  requires  less  a  tremendous  volume  of  sound  than 
distinctness  of  the  voices,  is  admirably  rendered  and 
with  a  devotion  and  sincerity  that  discounts  criticism. 
Mr.  Wolle  is  a  superb  choral  leader,  judicious  and  firm, 
but  able  to  evoke  such  splendors  of  sound  from  the 
material  at  hand  as  caused  even  the  blase  New  Yorkers 
to  approve. 

On  Wednesday  cantatas,  more  or  less  familiar,  were 

82 


THE  FIFTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 


sung  at  both  sessions.  In  the  afternoon  the  peculiarly 
spiritual  inspiration  of  the  festival,  as  well  as  the  effec¬ 
tiveness  of  the  choir,  was  displayed  in  that  beautiful 
cantata,“  The  solemn  moment  is  impending,”  conclud¬ 
ing  with  an  a  cappella  chorus,  sung  in  faintest  pianis¬ 
simo,  with  ethereal  effect. 

Of  the  choral  work  in  the  “  St.  John  Passion,” 
Mrs.  Smith  wrote:  — 

These  choruses  are  superb  examples  of  ensemble 
work  where  individuality  is  merged  in  the  combination 
of  many.  The  old  Moravian  idea  again  ;  no  wonder 
they  sing  the  music  so  well,  with  spirit  and  harmony, 
and  sometimes  with  dramatic  savor. 

In  the  choral  numbers  the  tempos  were  startling  and 
radically  rapid,  but  through  this  means  considerably  en¬ 
hanced  the  effective  character  of  the  text.  The  chorus, 
“Crucify,  Crucify,”  was  sung  as  a  veritable  outburst  of 
mob  passion,  and  “We  have  a  law”  in  the  same  dra¬ 
matic  manner.  The  chorales  were  admirable  in  their 
depth  and  sincerity.  Although  not  perfectly  sung,  the 
two  choruses  for  which  the  solo  bass  sings  in  obligato 
form,  were  curiously  impressive. 

Mr.  Aldrich’s  account  of  more  than  a  column 
in  the  “New  York  Times”  of  April  16,  con¬ 
tained  these  paragraphs:  — 

There  have  been  many  changes  in  the  personnel  of 
the  Moravian  choir  since  the  festival  two  years  ago; 
but  the  flame  of  enthusiasm  has  been  kept  alive  by  the 

83 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


dominating  personality  of  Dr.  Wolle  whose  labors  find 
their  chief  end  in  cultivating  the  music  of  Bach.  The  de¬ 
votion  with  which  his  choristers  follow  him  has  scarcely 
its  parallel,  certainly  not  in  the  choral  activities  of  larger 
cities,  where  one  night  a  week  is  a  large  and  meritori¬ 
ous  sacrifice  on  the  part  of  the  chorus-singing  amateur. 
Rehearsals  for  this  Lenten  festival  began  immediately 
after  the  Christmas  performances  and  were  held  at  first 
two,  then  three  times  a  week,  and  for  the  last  month 
they  have  been  held  every  night. 

The  result  of  this  thoroughness  of  preparation  is  to 
be  heard  in  the  perfect  familiarity  of  every  singer  with 
all  the  difficulties  of  the  music  and  the  confidence  with 
which  the  contrapuntal  maze  of  Bach’s  choral  style  is 
threaded.  It  may  be  that  there  is  not  quite  the  aggres¬ 
sive  energy  that  there  was,  especially  on  the  part  of  the 
basses;  they  thrilled  the  listeners  at  the  last  festival  by 
the  power,  rhythmic  incisiveness,  and  precision  of  at¬ 
tack  with  which  they  hurled  forth  elaborate  figurated 
passages.  On  the  other  hand,  the  tonal  quality  is  some¬ 
what  improved,  and  the  effect  of  buoyancy,  vigor,  and 
vitality  in  all  the  chorus  singing.  There  is  a  good  deal 
to  be  wished  for  in  the  orchestra.  It  is  more  largely 
than  ever  made  up  of  local  players ;  but  while  this  fact 
makes  possible  more  thorough  rehearsal  and  more  prac¬ 
tice  with  the  chorus,  it  also  implies  a  limitation  in  tech¬ 
nical  ability  to  cope  with  the  peculiar  and  often  very 
great  difficulties  of  the  score.  All  the  zeal  and  honest 
endeavor  in  the  world  cannot  pass  over  these  limita¬ 
tions. 

There  was  much  in  the  performance  of  the  passion 

84 


THE  SIXTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 


music  that  was  fine,  and  much  that  gave  full  voice  to 
the  profound  beauties  of  that  work.  .  .  . 

We  have  in  the  “Johannes  Passion”  the  frequent 
use  'of  the  chorales,  harmonized  with  all  Bach’s  won¬ 
derful  richness,  boldness,  and  vigorous  part  writing. 
These,  after  the  Bethlehem  custom,  the  congregation 
was  requested  to  join  in  singing,  and,  to  a  considerable 
extent,  did  join  in.  The  performance  of  the  chorus,  as 
has  been  indicated,  was  on  the  whole  admirable.  That 
of  the  orchestra  was  less  so,  and  in  the  second  part,  in 
the  evening  session,  a  failure  to  accept  its  cue  almost 
brought  disaster  at  one  moment.  The  solo  singers  were 
M  rs.  H  issem  DeMoss,  Mrs.  Gertrude  Stein-Bailey, 
Mr.  Nicholas  Douty,  and  Mr.  Julian  Walker,  and 
some  smaller  parts  were  taken  by  some  singers  of  the 
chorus.  Mr.  Douty  had  the  long  and  arduous  task  of 
declaiming  the  Evangelist’s  narrative,  and  did  it  well. 
It  is  not  always  easy  to  find  the  mean  between  a  com¬ 
monplace,  matter-of-fact  tone  and  an  excess  of  senti¬ 
ment,  but  Mr.  Douty  erred,  if  at  all,  on  the  right  side. 

THE  SIXTH  BACft  FESTIVAL,  JUNE,  I905 

The  last  of  the  Bach  Festivals  to  be  held  in 
the  Moravian  Church  was  the  Easter  and  Ascen¬ 
sion  Festival  of  the  Bach  Cycle  on  Thursday,  Fri¬ 
day,  and  Saturday,  June  i,  2,  and  3,  1905. 

A  special  telegram  to  the  “  Philadelphia  Pub¬ 
lic  Ledger”  told  succinctly  the  story  of  the  first 
day’s  sessions :  — 


85 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


Bethlehem,  June  i.  For  the  third  time  this  year  the 
trombones  this  afternoon  announced  from  their  ele¬ 
vated  station  in  the  beautiful  old  dome  of  the  Moravian 
Church  in  this  city  the  opening  of  another  festival  of 
the  1905  Bach  Cycle,  which  is  being  carried  out  so 
enthusiastically  by  Dr.  J.  Fred  Wolle  and  his  devoted 
singers  that  augmented  crowds  of  visitors  from  all  parts 
of  the  country  have  gathered  to  honor  the  efforts  of  the 
most  celebrated  choir  of  singers  possibly  in  America. 

The  cantata,  “The  Heavens  laugh,  the  Earth  itself 
rejoices,”  written  for  Easter  Day  in  1715,  was  sung  this 
afternoon,  followed  by  the  cantata,  “  Bide  with  us,” 
written  for  Easter  Monday  of  1736  to  accompany  the 
Gospel  lesson  that  narrates  the  story  of  the  walk  to 
Emmaus. 

The  least  interesting  movement  in  the  work,  a  free 
fantasia,  as  accompaniment  to  a  chorale  melody  sung  by 
the  sopranos,  was  made  charmingly  effective  by  the  clean 
and  delicate  manner  in  which  the  singers  enunciated 
their  simple  lines.  There  is  no  doubt  that  Dr.  Wolle 
has  taught  his  sopranos  how  to  sing. 

The  evening  session  brought’ forward  again  two  can¬ 
tatas,  “Thou  guide  of  Israel,  hearken,”  and  “  God  goeth 
up  with  shouting.”  Through  the  work,  with  the  excep¬ 
tion  of  the  tenor  aria,  “  His  face  my  shepherd  long 
is  hiding,”  most  artistically  sung  by  Nicholas  Douty, 
Bach  strictly  maintains  the  conception  that  pastoral 
music  must  be  in  triple  time. 

The  other  cantata  of  the  evening,  “  God  goeth  up 
with  shouting,”  was  written  for  Ascension  Day.  The 
soloists  of  the  day  were  Mrs.  John  Leibert  and  Miss 


86 


THE  SIXTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 


Lucy  Brickenstein,  sopranos;  Mrs.  Harriet  Foster, con¬ 
tralto  ;  Nicholas  Douty,  tenor;  Julian  Walker  and 
Howard  Wiegner,  bass.  Of  these,  Mrs.  Foster  was  new 
to  Bethlehem  audiences,  but  made  a  most  favorable  im¬ 
pression  with  her  singing  of  the  aria,  “  My  spirit  him 
descries,”  and  she  will  be  heard  with  pleasure  again  to¬ 
morrow.  Of  the  others,  little  need  be  said,  for  they 
have  thoroughly  acquired  the  peculiar  Bethlehem  spirit, 
though  the  comment  of  last  Easter  on  the  magnificent 
work  of  Mrs.  Leibert  was  amply  vindicated  by  her  per¬ 
formance  to-day.  If  Dr.  Wolle’s  choir  has  done  one 
thing  and  no  other,  it  has  found  and  developed  within 
its  own  limits  a  genuine  Bach  singer  in  this  artist.  The 
chorus  and  orchestra  were  all  that  could  be  desired. 

The  “Public  Ledger”  report  of  the  second 
day  commented  favorably  upon  the  work  of  the 
amateur  orchestra  in  the  performance  of  the 
Third  Brandenburg  Concerto.  It  continued:  — 

The  evening  concert  brought  forward  three  cantatas. 
The  first,  “  Now  hath  salvation  and  strength,”  consists 
of  a  double  chorus  only,  in  eight  parts,  without  solos, 
and  begins  without  introduction.  It  is  interesting  and 
massive,  but  leaves  the  hearer  the  feeling  of  incomplete¬ 
ness.  The  other  two  cantatas,  “  Sleepers,  wake,”  and 
“  A  Stronghold  sure  our  God  remains,”  are  known  not 
only  to  Bethlehem  audiences,  but  to  Bach  singers 
throughout  the  country.  The  soloists  of  the  afternoon 
were  Miss  Marguerite  Hall,  contralto;  John  Young, 
tenor;  Julian  Walker,  bass,  and  to  these  in  the  even- 

87 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


ing  were  added  Mrs.  Corinne  Rider-Kelsey,  soprano. 
Of  these  Mrs.  Kelsey  and  Mr.  Young  are  new  and 
valuable  to  the  Bethlehem  group  of  soloists.  Mrs.  Kel¬ 
sey  did  her  best  work  in  the  two  duets  with  bass  in  the 
cantata  “  Sleepers,  wake.”  Miss  Hall  repeated  her  suc¬ 
cesses  of  the  previous  festivals. 

After  two  days’  hearing  and  even  before  the  repeti¬ 
tion  of  the  great  “  Mass  in  B  Minor,”  which  is  on  the 
score  for  to-morrow,  some  clear  opinion  of  the  changes 
in  the  chorus  can  be  expressed.  The  toning  down  of 
the  voices,  noticed  at  the  Easter  Festival,  has  continued, 
and  Dr.  Wolle  has  succeeded  in  teaching  his  singers  the 
trick  of  using  mezzavoce  in  order  to  rub  out  the  faults 
of  forcing  and  stridency.  The  tenors  perhaps  are  weaker 
than  at  Easter,  but  far  more  melodious  and  satisfying. 
The  basses,  always  the  strong  point  of  the  choir,  this 
time  seem  a  little  uncertain  and  wavering,  many  of  their 
entrances  being  of  a  doubtful  intonation.  Probably  the 
best  piece  of  work  the  choir  did  during  these  two  days 
was  its  thoroughly  suave  and  delightfully  modulated 
rendering  of  the  Pastoral  Chorus  that  opens  the  can¬ 
tata,  “Thou  guide  of  Israel.”  Anything  much  better 
than  this  in  the  way  of  chorus  singing  can  hardly  be 
looked  for. 

To  quote  the  “Public  Ledger’s”  account 
again  :  — 

Bethlehem,  June  3.  This  afternoon  and  evening  the 
Bach  Cycle  of  1905  was  brought  to  a  close  with  a  mag¬ 
nificent  performance  of  the  “  Mass  in  B  Minor.”  The 
soloists,  Mrs.  Stein,  Mrs.  DeMoss,  Mr.  Douty  and 

88 


THE  SIXTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 


Mr.  Walker,  repeated  their  former  successes,  and  the 
chorus  exhibited  again  its  magnificent  enthusiasm  and 
energy,  and  justified  its  five  years  of  effort  devoted  to 
the  mass. 

Since  the  Bach  Festival  of  March  27,  1900,  Dr. 
Wolle  has  led  his  choir  in  the  “Mass  in  B  Minor” 
four  times,  the  “Christmas  Oratorio”  three  times,  the 
“  St.  Matthew  Passion  ”  twice,  the  “  St.  John  Passion” 
once,  and  many  cantatas  have  been  added.  Besides 
these,  the  orchestra  has  performed  the  second  and  third 
Brandenburg  Concertos  and  the  Suite  in  B  minor. 

The  first  series  of  Festivals  came  to  an  end  and 
the  Bach  Choir  was  disbanded  upon  the  departure 
of  Dr.  Wolle  from  Bethlehem  in  September, 
1905.  He  left  to  become  head  of  the  Depart¬ 
ment  of  Music  in  the  University  of  California, 
a  newly  created  chair.  On  Monday  evening,  Sep¬ 
tember  1 1,  of  that  year,  Dr.  Wolle  gave  an  organ 
recital  “to  the  Bach  Choir  and  its  friends.”  The 
recital  took  place  in  Packer  Memorial  Church, 
Lehigh  University.  The  parting  between  con¬ 
ductor  and  singers  was  thus  in  the  church  where, 
a  half  dozen  years  later,  they  were  to  resume 
giving  Festivals  of  the  music  of  their  beloved 
Bach. 


IV 


THE  FESTIVALS  AT  LEHIGH  UNIVERSITY 
HE  resumption  of  the  Bach  Festivals  at 


A  Lehigh  University  was  due  to  Mr.  Charles 
M.  Schwab.  While  on  a  business  trip  to  San  Fran¬ 
cisco,  the  steel-master  went  to  Berkeley  for  one 
of  Dr.  Wolle’s  choral  productions  in  the  Greek 
Theater  of  the  University  of  California.  He  had 
a  chat  with  Dr.  Wolle  in  which  he  assured  him 
of  his  hearty  support  if  he  should  decide  to  go 
back  to  the  East.  Now  Bach,  transplanted,  had 
not  flourished  as  in  the  soil  of  a  community  with 
musical  traditions  and  resources  like  those  of 
Bethlehem.  Mr.  Schwab’s  offer  of  cooperation, 
therefore,  was  a  vital  factor  in  causing  Dr.  Wolle 
to  return. 

The  measure  of  this  cooperation  proved  to  be 
wisely  generous.  Mr.  Schwab  bears  one  half  of 
the  deficits  of  the  present  festivals.  No  one  has 
characterized  this  better  than  Mr.  Fullerton  L. 
Waldo,  in  a  “Public  Ledger”  article  in  which 


90 


AT  LEHIGH  UNIVERSITY 

he  referred  to  Mr.  Schwab  as  a  “  doer  of  big 
things  in  a  big  way,  the  man  who  stands  back  of 
the  deficit  each  time  without  destroying  local 
initiative  by  footing  the  whole  bill.” 

Public  and  musical  spirit  at  their  best  were 
represented  by  the  group  of  citizens  who,  upon 
the  initiative  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Albert  N.  Cleaver, 
reorganized  the  Bach  Choir  in  October,  1911, 
and  who,  despite  financial  stress,  have  maintained 
the  Festivals  and  are  determined  to  continue  to 
maintain  them.  Other  chapters  of  this  book 
present  brief  sketches  of  these  citizens  and  of 
Dr.  Wolle  and  of  Mr.  Schwab. 

Lehigh  University  welcomed  the  new  move¬ 
ment,  and  when  the  Bethlehem  Bach  Choir, 
with  a  membership  of  more  than. twice  the  maxi¬ 
mum  of  the  earlier  years,  began  preparation  for 
the  Seventh  Bach  Festival,  it  was  with  both  a 
Festival  home  and  a  rehearsal  home,  proffered  re¬ 
spectively  by  the  University  and  by  the  Moravian 
Seminary  and  College  for  Women. 

Aside  from  the  financial  advantage  of  using 
without  charge  the  University  church,  organ, 
and  other  facilities,  the  Bach  Choir  has  the  profit 


91 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 

of  what  Mr.  M.  A.  DeWolfe  Howe  termed,  in 
the  “Boston  Evening  Transcript,”  “a  perfect 
setting  for  such  a  Festival.”  Visitors  enthusiasti¬ 
cally  comment  upon  the  impressiveness  of  the 
ivy-clad  stone  edifice  and  the  beautiful  Lehigh 
campus. 

Mr.  Clarence  Lucas,  in  his  “Musical  Courier” 
account  of  the  1914  Festival,  declared  that 

None  of  the  splendid  concert  halls  of  Europe  can 
vie  with  the  Packer  Memorial  Church  on  the  Penn¬ 
sylvania  hillside  as  a  temple  for  the  muse  of  Bach. 
There,  with  the  open  windows  framed  in  green  and  the 
breezes  fresh  from  the  mountains,  we  leave  the  dust 
and  noises  of  the  city  far  behind  us  and  are  transplanted 
into  a  slower-going  and  poetic  world  which  seems  more 
in  accord  with  the  age  in  which  Bach  lived. 

The  scene  when  the  Festival  attendants  gather 
under  the  campus  trees  to  hear  the  Trombone 
Choir  was  pictured  thus  by  Mr.  Julius  Hartt,  in 
the  “  Hartford  Daily  Times  ”  :  — 

And  now,  as  4  o’clock  on  Friday  afternoon  draws 
near,  the  while  long  needles  of  sunlight  pierce  the  can- 
opying  green  of  gently  swaying  and  venerable  trees, 
the  pilgrims  gather  in  reverent  and  expectant  groups 
about  the  church.  .  .  .  Presently  from  high  up  in  the 
ivy-draped  church  tower  is  heard  the  trombone  choir, 


92 


AT  LEHIGH  UNIVERSITY 


—  the  choir  descended  from  other  like  choirs  long  since 
silent  which,  from  the  older  Moravian  church  tower 
were  wont  to  announce  important  events  in  the  ancient 
Moravian  community.  The  trombone  voices  float  out 
on  the  springtime  air  in  a  sublime  Bach  chorale;  a 
chorale  perennial  with  grave  and  lofty  beauty  —  “  From 
highest  heaven  to  earth  I  come.” 

The  service  of  the  University  authorities  in 
details  which  to  neglect  would  mar  the  pleasure 
of  Festival  attendants  was  referred  to  by  Mr. 
Henderson  in  the  “New  York  Sun”  report  of 
May  31,  1916  :  — 

The  arrangements  were  all  admirably  planned.  Ac¬ 
cess  to  the  entrance  for  carriages  and  automobiles  was 
amply  and  perfectly  policed.  Lehigh  students  per¬ 
formed  the  duties  of  ushers  efficiently  and  the  concerts 
began  promptly. 

An  instance  where  President  Drinker,  during 
the  1916  Festival,  acted  in  a  situation  that  was 
at  once  amusing  and  serious  was  related  by  Dr. 
Lyman  Abbott  in  the  “  Outlook  ”  :  — 

At  the  same  time  that  Bach’s  Festival  was  being  given 
in  the  Church  “Washburn’s  Mighty  Midway  Show” 
was  scheduled  to  be  given  for  the  benefit  of  a  local  so¬ 
ciety,  and  it  had  pitched  its  tents  just  outside  the  col¬ 
lege  grounds.  The  beating  of  its  big  drum,  the  blare 
of  its  mechanical  orchestra,  and  the  blast  of  its  calliope 


93 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


would  have  mingled  with  the  Bach  choruses  and  made 
the  solos  inaudible.  Dr.  Drinker  arranged  a  meeting 
of  town  authorities,  representatives  of  the  local  society, 
managers  of  the  show,  and  a  committee  of  the  Bach 
Festival,  and  as  the  result  of  the  friendly  conference 
the  show  stopped  all  its  out-of-door  music  while  the 
Festival  was  in  progress,  both  afternoon  and  evening. 

This  incident  was  cited  by  Dr.  Abbott  as  il¬ 
lustrating  “  the  good-will  which  characterizes 
American  democracy.” 

Like  that  of  Lehigh  is  the  spirit  and  service  of 
the  Moravian  Seminary  and  College  for  Women. 
For  the  major  portion  of  the  year  the  chapel  of 
the  Seminary  is  the  home  of  the  Bach  Choir. 
By  courtesy  of  President  John  H.  Clewell  and 
the  Seminary  and  College  Board  of  Trustees,  re¬ 
hearsals  are  held  here,  except  those  immediately 
preceding  the  spring  Festivals  and  the  New  York 
mid-winter  trips,  when  Packer  Memorial  Church 
is  used.  The  Seminary  Chapel  is  a  small  audito¬ 
rium  that  abounds  in  historic  suggestion.  Here 
is  preserved  the  old  spinet  which  was  played  for 
General  Washington  in  the  visit  to  Bethlehem 
referred  to  in  Chapter  I.  On  the  south  wall  of 
the  chapel  is  Schuessele’s  painting,  “  Zeisberger 

94 


pi  >  ti  i  'H.  i 

3  1  1  |  S |S 

1  1  | j 

J2  7  -  jt  ■■  ■  ■ 

l|3  3 

Photograph  by  Conradi 


COLONIAL  HALL  AND  COLLEGE  HALL 


Photograph  by  Conradi 

THE  CHAPEL,  REHEARSAL  HOME  OF  THE  BACH  CHOIR 

THE  MORAVIAN  SEMINARY  AND  COLLEGE  FOR  WOMEN 


AT  LEHIGH  UNIVERSITY 


preaching  to  the  Indians,”  depicting  the  mission¬ 
ary  zeal  of  the  Moravians.  To  summon  before 
the  Bach  singers  of  to-day  the  high  traditions  of 
Bethlehem’s  past  no  surroundings  could  be  more 
potent. 

Moreover,  in  the  Seminary’s  hospitality  to  the 
Choir  and  in  the  lending  each  year  of  that  or¬ 
ganization  of  ancient  and  impressive  lineage,  the 
Trombone  Choir,  there  is  emphatic  evidence  of 
the  continued  interest  of  the  Moravian  Congre¬ 
gation  in  the  Bach  movement. 

Happily  this  historical  sketch  of  the  Bach 
Choir  need  not  be  the  work  of  a  single  narrator. 
While  he  could  avoid  an  account  “damp  with 
rosewater,”  no  one  person  could  produce  any¬ 
thing  as  representative,  as  disinterested  and  as  full 
of  interest  as  a  compendium  of  newspaper  and 
magazine  reviews  from  the  many  pens  that  have 
reported  the  Festivals.  It  is  more  than  a  fortu¬ 
nate  circumstance  that  the  present  narrative  is 
enriched  by  quotations  from  some  of  the  ablest 
music  critics  in  the  United  States.  That  they 
have  given  to  the  Bethlehem  Festivals  much  at¬ 
tention,  thought,  and  space  establishes  the  im- 

95 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


portance  of  the  enterprise  aside  from  approval  or 
censure  —  and  approval,  be  it  said,  has  predomi¬ 
nated. 


THE  SEVENTH  BACH  FESTIVAL,  I912 

The  six  preceding  Bach  Festivals  in  the  Mo¬ 
ravian  Church  ranged  from  one  to  six  days.  In 
the  reestablishment  of  the  Choir  it  was  decided 
to  limit  the  Festivals  to  two  days  in  late  May  or 
early  June,  with  sessions  on  Friday  at  4  p.m.  and 
8  p.m.  and  on  Saturday  at  2  p.m.  and  5  p.m. 
These  days  and  hours  have  proved  to  be  satisfac¬ 
tory.  The  first  day’s  programme  varies.  Virtu¬ 
ally  fixed  for  the  second  day  is  the  perennial 
“  Mass  in  B  Minor.”  “  It  is  well  that  this  should 
be  so,”  Mr.  Richard  Aldrich  has  written  in  the 
“New  York  Times,”  “for  the  proportions  and 
difficulties  of  the  great  work  are  such  as  to  put 
it  beyond  the  reach  of  any  but  the  most  extraor¬ 
dinary  exertions  of  most  choruses.  The  Bach 
Choir  has  made  history  with  it.” 

The  seventh  Bach  Festival,  held  on  Friday 
and  Saturday,  May  31  and  June  1,  1912,  in¬ 
cluded  the  “  Mass,”  chorales,  and  the  following 

96 


THE  SEVENTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 


cantatas:  “It  is  enough”;  “Christian,  stand 
with  sword  in  hand  ”  ;  “  Soul,  array  thyself  with 
gladness”  ;  and  “Strike,  oh,  strike,  long  looked- 
for  hour.” 

The  fullest  critical  account  of  this  Festival  was 
that  in  the  “  Philadelphia  Public  Ledger,”  writ¬ 
ten  by  Mr.  Fullerton  L.  Waldo,  the  music  edi¬ 
tor  of  the  paper.  Quotations  from  Mr.  Waldo’s 
article  of  June  3,  1912,  follow  :  — 

The  first  of  the  cantatas  —  Bach  wrote  no  less  than 
190  —  was  “It  is  enough”;  the  second,  sung  on  Fri¬ 
day  afternoon,  was  “  Christian,  stand  with  sword  in 
hand,”  and,  finally,  there  were  chorales.  In  its  share, 
the  seated  chorus,  singing  without  accompaniment, 
electrified  the  audience  with  a  chant  of  the  most  ethe¬ 
real  and  delicate  pianissimo,  so  exquisite  and  pure  that, 
upon  many  requests,  Dr.  Wolle  began  the  evening 
performance  with  the  repetition  of  the  verse.  .  .  . 

The  crowning  and  closing  work  of  the  Festival  was 
the  great  “Mass  in  B  Minor,”  sung  in  Latin,  and 
given  in  two  portions  on  Saturday  afternoon.  The  first 
part  comprised  the  “  Kyrie  ”  and  the  “Gloria,”  the 
second  consisted  of  the  “Credo,”  “  Sanctus,”  “Bene¬ 
dicts,”  and  “Agnus  Dei,”  the  work  being  given  with¬ 
out  cuts.  Each  portion  required  slightly  less  than  an 
hour  and  a  half  for  the  delivery.  After  the  usual  pre¬ 
lude  from  the  belfry,  the  trombones  stationed  near  the 
organ  played  the  simple  melody  of  a  hymn  and  the 


97 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 

echoes  had  not  died  away  when  the  choir,  with  a  thrill¬ 
ing  sforzando,  struck  the  first  words  of  the  noble  in¬ 
vocation,  “  Kyrie  Eleison  !  ”  The  succeeding  phrase, 
“Christe  Eleison,”  was  given  to  the  firm  assurance  of 
the  soprano  and  alto  soloists  in  conjunction,  and  the 
choral  climax  followed. 

The  brasses  —  idle,  of  course,  in  Friday’s  cantatas  — 
now  found  their  voices,  as  trumpets  and  drums,  rein¬ 
forcing  the  strings,  announced  the  beginning  of  the 
“  Gloria.”  Again  and  again  the  pealing  trumpets  de¬ 
signedly  spoke  with  all  their  might,  a  tremendous  in¬ 
terpolation  being  theirs  when  the  chorus  sang  the  words 
“  Sancto  Spiritu  ”  at  the  close  of  the  ‘‘Gloria.”  In  the 
opening  phrases  of  the  “Credo,”  the  last  syllables  of 
the  “  Dona  nobis  pacem,”  at  the  close  of  all,  the  trump¬ 
ets  fairly  shouted.  Bach  was  not  writing  for  a  short 
auditory  range  —  if  these  notes  woke  the  echoes  in  the 
green-clad  surrounding  hills  it  was  part  of  his  design 
to  make  a  joyful  noise  unto  the  Lord,  even  if  to  those 
who  sat  near  the  sound  was  well-nigh  overwhelming. 

The  “Gloria”  was  filled  with  sharply  accentuated 
contrasts,  elicited  by  those  wonderfully  appealing  hands 
and  versatile  fingers  of  Dr.  Wolle.  When  the  contraltos 
entered  in  “Qui  tollis  peccata,”  with  the  plea  for  mercy, 
it  became  a  great  wail  of  anguish,  as  the  voices,  out- 
welling  and  again  receding,  besought  the  intercession 
of  the  Lamb  of  God.  The  oboe,  at  all  times  beauti¬ 
fully  handled,  sang  the  obligato  for  the  alto  aria  that 
followed;  the  French  horn,  with  liquid  sonority,  ac¬ 
companied  the  bass  in  its  succession.  The  final  chorus, 
“  Cum  Sancto  Spiritu,”  was  a  mighty  and  inspiring 


98 


THE  SEVENTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 


climax  in  which  the  technical  difficulties  were  multi¬ 
plied. 

The  “Credo”  opened  with  an  annunciation  of  be¬ 
lief  that  carried  conviction.  The  congregation  by  this 
time  was  one  in  its  worshipful  sense  with  those  who 
sang.  After  the  beautiful  duet  of  alto  and  soprano  the 
choir  again  achieved,  in  the  words  of  the  “  Incarna- 
tus,”  the  same  remarkable  pianissimo  effect  that  had 
been  so  impressive  in  the  first  of  the  cantatas.  With 
the  words,  “  He  suffered  and  was  buried,”  the  sound 
died  away  to  the  merest  whisper,  only  to  soar  upward 
magnificently  with  the  words,  “  He  rose  again,”  with  a 
buoyant  jubilation  like  lines  of  fire  leaping  and  running 
along  the  hilltops.  Again  the  trumpets  rejoiced  toward 
the  conclusion  and  again  Mr.  Croxton’s  resonant  voice 
was  heard  with  the  mellow  obligato  of  the  oboe  in  its 
support.  His  voice  is  particularly  fortunate  with  the 
unctuous  and  mouth-filling  Latin  syllables  which  gave 
the  whole  work  from  first  to  last  a  dignity  the  English 
text  would  not  have  attained. 

Another  of  the  profoundly  impressive  contrasts  that 
are  the  life  of  Dr.  Wolle’s  interpretation  came  in  the 
change  from  “the  resurrection  of  the  dead,”  to  “the 
life  of  the  world  to  come,”  where  the  word  “mortuo- 
rum”  was  uttered  with  funereal  gravity,  and  the  fol¬ 
lowing  phrase  was  instinct  with  hope  and  rejoicing. 
The  choir  fairly  sprang  upon  the  “  Sanctus,”  where 
the  word  alternated  with  the  soft  and  low-breathed 
“Dominus”  in  dramatic  fashion.  Mr.  Douty  had  his 
most  conspicuous  chance  of  the  day,  an  opportunity 
that  was  well  improved,  in  the  “  Benedictus.” 


99 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


Perhaps  the  most  beautiful  feature  of  the  entire  Fes¬ 
tival  was  Mrs.  Bailey’s  singing  of  the  “Agnus  Dei,” 
with  the  strings  and  especially  the  concertmeister’s  vio¬ 
lin  upholding  the  voice.  The  audience  was  transfixed 
by  as  perfect  a  performance  of  this  touching  appeal  of 
human  impotence  to  Divine  power  as  one  could  hope 
to  hear.  .  .  . 

The  final  chorus  “Dona  nobis  pacem,”  with  the  re¬ 
iterated  appeal  of  the  trumpets,  brought  to  a  close  the 
great  “B  Minor  Mass”  and  the  Seventh  Festival. 

Although  it  was  contained  in  a  review  in  the 
“New  York  Times”  three  years  later,  this  is  a 
fitting  place  to  quote  the  comment  of  Mr.  Rich¬ 
ard  Aldrich  upon  the  accompaniment  by  mem¬ 
bers  of  the  Philadelphia  Orchestra,  who  first 
joined  the  Bethlehem  Bach  singers  at  this  1912 
Festival :  — 

Another  very  important  gain  in  the  performances  has 
been  made  in  the  fact  that  the  orchestra  is  now  recruited 
from  the  excellent  players  of  the  Philadelphia  Orches¬ 
tra.  The  great  exactions  of  Bach’s  orchestral  parts  are 
far  more  adequately  met  than  they  used  to  be  by  the 
zealous  but  not  always  very  skillful  instrumentalists 
that  formerly  made  up  the  bulk  of  the  forces  at  Dr. 
Wolle’s  disposal. 

The  “  Musical  America  ”  review  of  Mr.  Arthur 
Judson,  now  manager  of  the  Philadelphia  Or- 


100 


THE  SEVENTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 


chestra,  dwelt  upon  the  reverent  attitude  that 
marked  the  surroundings  at  Lehigh:  — 

The  writer  has  attended  many  festivals  in  America 
and  noted  scenes  of  enthusiasm,  ovations  to  artists,  the 
spirit  of  festivity,  but  nowhere  has  he  observed  the  same 
unity  of  feeling  in  the  placing  of  the  works  of  a  master 
before  the  appreciation  of  the  individual  artists. 

Of  the  Choir’s  performance  in  the  “  Mass,” 
Mr.  Judson  said:  — 

The  u  Gratias  agimus”  chorus,  though  again  taken 
a  trifle  too  slowly,  was  one  of  the  most  beautifully  sung 
choruses  of  the  entire  work.  In  spite  of  the  slow  tempo, 
the  long  phrases  were  well  sustained  and  the  balance  of 
tone  between  the  various  parts  was  good.  There  were 
some  exquisite  pianissimos.  .  .  . 

The  “  Qui  tollis  ”  chorus  vied  with  the  preceding 
chorus  in  the  fineness  of  its  conception  and  tonal  bal¬ 
ance.  Indeed,  it  was  in  these  more  intimate  choruses 
that  the  choral  body  did  its  finest  work. 

Mr.  W.  H.  Humiston,  now  assistant  conductor 
of  the  Philharmonic  Society  of  New  York,  wrote 
in  “Musical  America”:  — 

Even  those  who  find  fault  with  certain  details  of  Mr. 
Wolle’s  interpretations  (and  there  is  room  for  differ¬ 
ence  of  opinion)  must  admit  that  he  is  the  one  man 
who  has  the  energy  to  overcome  the  inevitable  inertia, 
the  one  man  who  possesses  the  enthusiasm  necessary  to 
conquer  the  difficulties  in  the  way  of  such  festivals. 


IOI 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


The  festival  idea,  of  course,  has  its  root  in  the  mu¬ 
sical  ritual  of  the  old  Moravian  Church,  but  without 
J.  Fred  Wolle  it  would  never  have  emerged  from  the 
ground  and  blossomed  into  such  wonderful  fruition  as 
the  festivals  of  1900,  1901,  1903,  1904-05,  and  the 
present  one.  The  musical  world  is  to  be  congratulated 
on  the  return  of  Mr.  Wolle  to  Bethlehem,  for  Califor¬ 
nia,  progressive  as  it  is,  is  not  the  place  for  any  exclusive 
propaganda.  Mr.  Wolle’s  heart  is  in  the  Bach  work  and 
can  exert  a  much  wider  influence  in  that  way  than  in 
any  other.  And  the  Bethlehem  Bach  Festivals  can  be 
much  more  far-reaching  in  influence  than  any  professor¬ 
ship  in  any  university  in  the  land. 

An  exceptional  circumstance  connected  with 
obtaining  the  score  of  the  first  cantata  of  the  Fes¬ 
tival,  “  It  is  enough,”  was  related  by  the  present 
writer  in  an  article  in  the  “  Musical  Courier  ” 
of  June  5  :  — 

As  the  orchestral  scores  of  this  and  the  three  other 
cantatas  are  not  in  print,  Dr.  Wolle  sent  to  Leipsic  to 
have  copies  made  from  manuscript  for  use  by  the  Phila¬ 
delphia  Orchestra.  The  scores  for  the  three  other 
cantatas  arrived  safely.  That  of  “It  is  enough”  was 
forwarded  on  the  Titanic.  When  the  fate  of  the  great 
vessel  and  the  little  package  for  Bethlehem  became 
known  to  the  Bach  followers,  they  were  in  a  quandary. 
Luckily  a  copy  of  this  particular  orchestral  score  was 
located  in  New  York  and  copies  of  it  were  made  in  time 
for  the  Festival. 


102 


THE  EIGHTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 


THE  EIGHTH  BACH  FESTIVAL,  I  9  I  3 

Fourteen  States  and  Canada  and  Mexico  as 
well  were  represented  in  the  congregations  that 
heard  the  eighth  Bach  Festival  on  May  30  and 
31.  “At  these  services,”  the  “Outlook”  said  in 
its  comment  of  June  14,  “teachers  and  pupils 
of  music,  musical  critics,  and  plain  music-lovers 
gather.  ...  It  is  a  pilgrimage  worth  many  times 
over  the  making.” 

The  programme  of  the  first  day  was  the  “  St. 
Matthew  Passion”  with  the  “B  Minor  Mass” 
on  the  second  day.  The  soloists  were:  soprano, 
Miss  Grace  Kerns ;  contraltos,  Mrs.  Florence 
Mulford  Hunt  and  Mrs.  Margaret  Adsit  Barrell ; 
tenor,  Mr.  Nicholas  Douty ;  basses,  Mr.  Edmund 
A.  Jahn  and  Mr.  Horatio  Connell. 

As  in  1912,  the  most  comprehensive  and  rep¬ 
resentative  review  of  the  Festival  was  that  in  the 
“  Philadelphia  Public  Ledger  ”  by  Mr.  Waldo. 
Several  paragraphs  are  given:  — 

More  than  five  thousand  persons  heard  the  music  of 
the  two  days,  and  to  the  making  of  this  Pennsylvania 
Oberammergau  the  whole  of  the  country  and  even  for¬ 
eign  lands  contributed.  These  audiences  or  congrega- 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


tions  are  not  like  the  generality  of  such  assemblages. 
They  went  into  the  lofty  nave  and  transept  of  Packer 
Memorial  Chapel  in  the  spirit  of  worship,  and  applause 
was,  of  course,  eliminated.  Within  a  pew’s  length  in 
whatever  direction  one  would  almost  surely  find  one  or 
more  of  the  high  priesthood  of  music,  and  the  remainder 
were  reverent  laity.  Many  as  they  listened  held  in  hand 
the  vocal  score  and  followed  every  mutation  of  solo 
contralto  or  commentatory  oboe  or  whatever  the  mu¬ 
sical  argument  of  the  moment  might  be.  .  .  . 

Merely  to  illustrate  the  diversity  of  the  gathering,  a 
cursory  survey  of  the  roster  of  applicants  for  seats  is 
suggestive.  There  came  in  force  pupils  and  teachers  of 
the  New  England  Conservatory  of  Music,  at  Boston; 
the  Conservatory  of  Ypsilanti,  Michigan;  Madame 
Bowman’s  School  in  Montreal;  the  Comstock  Music 
School,  of  New  York;  Miss  Lankenau’s  School; 
Madame  Froelich’s  Music  School  at  Harrisburg,  and 
forty-four  other  similar  institutions  and  conservatories. 
Professor  Hall,  Dr.  Gibson,  and  Professor  W.  Kugler 
came  from  Boston.  There  was  a  delegation  from  the 
Cincinnati  Orchestra  Association.  Vermont,  Massa¬ 
chusetts,  Connecticut,  Rhode  Island,  New  York,  New 
Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Delaware,  Virginia,  Ohio,  Indi¬ 
ana,  Michigan,  Illinois,  and  North  Dakota  were  the 
States  represented,  as  well  as  the  District  of  Columbia. 
Besides  the  cities  mentioned  there  were  guests  from 
Buffalo,  Troy,  Brooklyn,  Elmira,  Saratoga,  Akron,  In¬ 
dianapolis,  Chicago,  Washington,  Wilmington,  Tren¬ 
ton,  Baltimore,  Cambridge,  Jersey  City,  Elizabeth,  and 
Plainfield. 


104 


Photograph  by  the  Albertype  Company 

PACKER  MEMORIAL  CHURCH,  LEHIGH  UNIVERSITY,  HOME  OF  THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  FESTIVALS 


THE  EIGHTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 


Philadelphia,  providing  most  of  the  orchestra  and  two 
of  the  soloists,  sent  hundreds  of  distinguished  members 
of  its  musical  fraternity  and  aristocracy  of  culture.  The 
large  proportion  of  trained  musicians  made  the  chorales, 
in  which  the  standing  audience  joined,  thrillingly  effec¬ 
tive.  No  ordinary  congregation  can  be  expected  at  sight 
to  compass  the  difficult  intervals  of  Bach’s  majestic 
polyphony. 

A  few  minutes  before  each  of  the  four  sessions,  trom¬ 
bone  players,  including  the  seldom-heard  soprano  trom¬ 
bone,  ascended  the  lofty  belfry  of  the  church  and  woke 
the  echoes  of  the  hills  with  chorales  in  slow  and  solemn 
measure,  making  pronounced  use  of  the  slide  in  quaint 
accord  with  amateur  Moravian  tradition.  For  this  pre¬ 
liminary  invocation  is  a  labor  of  love  and  not  of  pro¬ 
fessional  duty  with  those  who  engage  in  it.  As  the  last 
notes  melted  into  silence  —  or,  perhaps,  the  wondering 
birds  took  up  the  strain  —  the  greensward  was  emptied 
of  its  reverential  groups  and  the  dim  interior  of  the 
church  was  filled,  leaving  acluster  of  latercomers  craning 
and  on  tiptoe  at  the  open  door.  From  the  first  notes 
of  the  “  St.  Matthew  Passion  ”  to  the  prayer  for  peace  at 
the  end  of  the  glorious  “Mass”  an  atmosphere  was 
created  in  benedictional  offsetting  against  the  hectic 
fever  and  stress  of  modern  life,  the  serfhood  of  stale 
custom,  the  domination  of  whatsoever  things  are  crass 
and  gross  and  material.  .  .  . 

Miss  Kerns,  of  girlish  presence,  sang  with  a  certain 
inspired  abandon  and  freedom  and  ingratiating  fresh¬ 
ness  of  tone  quality  that  earned  at  once  and  retained  for 
her  throughout  the  explicit  admiration  of  her  hearers. 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


Mrs.  Hunt  and  Mrs.  Barrell  have  voices  of  the  au¬ 
thentic  contralto  mellowness  with  unctuousness,  in  for¬ 
tunate  alliance  with  the  faculty  of  divination  of  the  sense 
and  sentiment  of  the  text.  Nicholas  Douty’s  positive 
genius  as  an  exponent  of  oratorio  has  been  manifested 
so  often  that  the  thought  of  his  participation  is  almost 
inseparable  from  the  idea  of  a  Bach  Festival.  His  sing¬ 
ing  of  “  My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  Thou,”  was  an 
inspiration.  Mr.  Douty  delivered  all  his  lines  with  that 
familiar  lyric  ease  and  flowing  spontaneity  which  are 
the  special  delightful  characteristics  of  his  method,  and 
though  at  the  fag-end  of  a  particularly  arduous  season, 
his  voice  sustained  the  heavy  burden  of  the  magnificent 
declamatory  narration  with  no  perceptible  impairment 
of  its  buoyant  resiliency  and  sufficing  volume.  .  .  . 

Mr.  Connell  was  a  figure  of  epic  dignity  and  gravity 
befitting  the  solemn  import  of  the  measures  freighted 
with  the  words  of  the  Redeemer,  and  the  tone  quality 
was  pure  and  sweet  and  effortlessly  pronounced.  .  .  . 

The  Choir  itself  offered  a  revelation  of  what  instructed 
and  unwavering  devotion  can  accomplish.  It  seems  at 
all  points  to  present  an  impregnable  front  to  adverse 
criticism,  even  if  one  were  inclined  to  be  captious.  One 
could  not  ask  for  anything  more  or  better.  The  cres¬ 
cendos,  swelling  in  volume  from  the  faintest  shadow  of 
a  tone  to  a  full-blooded,  pulsing  richness  of  sound  that 
filled  the  edifice  to  overflowing,  were  created  by  virtue 
of  the  fact  that  every  singer  gave  “  the  last  full  measure 
of  devotion  ”  to  every  note,  not  merely  as  a  note  but 
as  part  of  a  chord.  In  the  gorgeous  climaxes  when,  as 
Handel  would  have  said,  “the  heavens  opened,”  body 


106 


THE  NINTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 


and  soul  and  mind  were  enlisted  in  the  corporate  serv¬ 
ice  with  an  enkindling  fervor  that  communicated  a  like 
exaltation  of  spirit  to  the  listener. 

The  “Musical  Courier”  report  said:  — 

The  local  members  of  the  Choir  did  much  work  that 
was  really  admirable  and  none  that  was  not  above  the 
average  of  many  of  the  leading  choirs  in  America.  The 
Bach  Choir  of  London  has  given  many  performances 
that  were  inferior  in  every  way  to  the  work  of  the  Beth¬ 
lehem  chorus.  The  Oratorio  Society  of  New  York  as 
it  used  to  be  before  Louis  Koemmenich  awoke  it  from 
its  lethargy  could  not  have  competed  in  any  way  with 
the  Bach  Choir  J.  Frederick  Wolle  directs. 

THE  NINTH  BACH  FESTIVAL,  I914 

The  ninth  Bach  Festival,  held  on  Friday  and 
Saturday,  May  29  and  30,  1914,  stands  out  be¬ 
cause  of  a  unique  presentation  of  the  “  B  Minor 
Mass.”  The  Choir  sang  the  entire  “Mass,”  solos 
as  well  as  choruses.  It  was  a  “feature”  with  no 
smell  of  the  circus;  a  novelty  with  reverence  and 
earnestness  in  it. 

Now  for  a  large  body  of  amateurs  to  essay  parts 
that  professional  soloists  find  extremely  difficult, 
in  addition  to  their  own  regular  numbers,  meant 
tremendous  demands  upon  their  musicianship, 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


courage,  and  endurance.  To  this  task  the  singers 
addressed  themselves  with  faith  in  their  con¬ 
ductor  and  the  assurance  bred  of  honest  prepa¬ 
ration. 

The  outcome  was,  as  Mr.  Waldo  phrased  it  in 
the  “Philadelphia  Public  Ledger,”  “an  interest¬ 
ing  experiment  and  a  successful  one.”  But  Mr. 
Waldo’s  further  words  were  doubtless  accu¬ 
rate  :  — 

From  the  point  of  view  of  the  audience,  probably  the 
relief  afforded  by  the  solo  voice  from  the  tension  of 
the  sublimities  of  the  choruses  is  very  welcome;  and 
though  the  altos  sang  the  “Agnus  Dei”  wonderfully 
well,  the  pleading  intercession  of  a  single  voice  (as,  for 
example,  that  of  Mrs.  Bailey  in  1912)  is  even  more 
surely  heart-searching  in  its  appeal. 

The  comment  of  Mr.  H.  F.  Peyser,  in  “  Mu¬ 
sical  America,”  contained  praise  for  many  num¬ 
bers 

admirably  done  by  the  chorus  —  notably  the  duet 
“Christe  Eleison,”  given  by  the  first  and  second  so¬ 
prano  sections  with  suave,  lovely  tone  and  deeply  emo¬ 
tional  effect;  the  enchanting  soprano  aria,  “  Laudamus 
Te”;  the  bass  aria,  “  Quoniam  Tu  solus  sanctus  ”  ; 
the  duet  for  soprano  and  contralto,  “  Et  in  Unum 
Deum,”  and  “Agnus  Dei”  for  contralto. 

108 


THE  NINTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 


Mr.  Peyser  made  this  qualification  : - 

The  extra  burden  imposed  cannot  but  fatigue  these 
singers  so  as  ultimately  to  impair  the  freshness  and 
spontaneity  of  their  efforts  in  what  is  their  rightful  task. 
Moreover,  the  necessary  element  of  contrast  is  missed, 
and  there  are  several  numbers  in  the  “Mass”  —  the 
celestial  “Agnus  Dei,”  for  example  —  which  seem  to 
demand  solo  utterance  imperatively,  however  well  an 
aggregation  of  singers  may  cope  with  them. 

Likewise  Mr.  Clarence  Lucas,  in  the  “Musical 
Courier  ” :  — 

The  direct  emotional  appeal  of  the  individual  voice 
is  lost  as  soon  as  the  part  is  sung  or  played  by  several 
performers.  Nevertheless,  the  choral  performances  of 
the  solos  on  Saturday  were  full  of  musical  interest.  They 
were  excellently  rendered,  and  showed  how  well  and 
patiently  the  conductor  must  have  worked,  even  with 
his  willing  choristers,  before  such  results  could  have 
been  possible. 

Mr.  Peyser’s  “  Musical  America  ”  account  of 
the  first  day’s  programme  of  this  Festival  has  in¬ 
terest  :  — 

Richard  Wagner  once  spoke  of  the  Bach  motets  as 
“streams  of  rhythmic  melody  mingled  with  the  waves 
of  an  ocean  of  harmony.”  This  description  admirably 
fits  the  “Sing  ye  to  the  Lord,”  which  opened  the  pro¬ 
ceedings  on  Friday  afternoon  —  a  thrilling  work,  but 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


of  no  small  difficulties,  requiring  of  its  executants  ex¬ 
ceptional  pliancy  and  flexibility  of  voice.  On  the  whole, 
Dr.  Wolle’s  singers  acquitted  themselves  commendably 
of  their  exacting  task.  .  .  . 

Nicholas  Douty,  the  tenor,  was  heard  in  the  air,  “  So 
be  thou  still,”  which  he  sang  with  all  of  that  rare  skill, 
intelligence  and  artistry  that  have  long  since  stamped 
him  as  one  of  the  foremost  singers  of  Bach  to  be  heard 
in  this  country  to-day.  Three  chorales,  “  Sing,  Pray,” 
“Within  our  inmost  being,”  and  “Beyond  all  earthly 
ken,”  followed,  after  which  Horatio  Connell  sang 
“  Slumber  on,  O  weary  spirit,”  one  of  the  most  moving 
and  surpassingly  lovely  arias  in  the  whole  range  of  the 
Bach  cantatas.  The  eminent  American  basso  was  in  his 
best  form,  his  tone  of  round,  noble  quality,  his  thorough 
acquaintance  with  the  essential  style  of  this  music,  his 
beautiful  phrasing  and  musicianly  understanding  serv¬ 
ing  to  make  his  delivery  of  the  number  one  of  the  most 
notable  moments  of  the  first  concert. 

In  the  evening,  Mr.  Douty  again  delighted  his  hear¬ 
ers  by  his  singing  of  the  florid  but  dramatic  “  In  billows 
the  rivers  of  Belial  flowing,”  while  Mr.  Connell  like¬ 
wise  scored  heavily  in  the  exultant  “  Triumph  now  is 
mine.”  The  orchestra  was  more  fortunate  with  the  in¬ 
troduction  to  the  cantata,  “The  Heavens  laugh,”  and 
the  delicious  “  Pastoral  Symphony”  from  the  “  Christ¬ 
mas  Oratorio  ”  than  it  had  been  with  the  Concerto  in 
the  afternoon. 

The  climax  of  the  concert  was  reached  with  the  su¬ 
perb  “Magnificat,”  in  which  the  chorus  quite  covered 
itself  with  glory.  What  teeming  vitality,  what  virility, 


i  io 


THE  NINTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 


what  enduring  freshness  in  this  music!  In  the  vocal 
parts  one  observes  a  dramatic  truth  of  declamation,  a 
coordination  of  text  and  music  comparable  to  Wagner. 
So  well  was  it  performed  that  one  fairly  longed  to  hear  it 
over  again  when  it  was  concluded.  The  soprano  solos 
were  adequately  handled  by  Mrs.  Helen  Hunsicker, 
while  in  the  contralto  portions  Maude  Sproule  revealed 
a  voice  of  pleasing  quality.  There  was,  however,  less 
distinction  in  the  work  of  these  singers  than  of  such 
routined  artists  as  Messrs.  Douty  and  Connell  who, 
in  this  masterpiece  duplicated  their  other  successes. 
Mr.  Douty  was  particularly  successful  in  the  “  De- 
posuit  potentes,”  Mr.  Connell  in  the  glorious  “  Quia 
fecit.”  Lucy  Brickenstein,  the  second  soprano,  created 
a  pleasant  impression  with  her  uEt  exultavit.” 
Praise  must  likewise  be  accorded  T.  Edgar  Shields  for 
his  highly  efficient  work  at  the  organ  throughout  the 
festival. 

Extracts  from  the  review  of  this  Festival  by 
Mr.  Philip  H.  Goepp  in  the  “  Philadelphia  Even¬ 
ing  Telegram”  of  May  30  follow:  — 

The  pilgrim  hurrying  to  the  Festival  sacred  to  Bach, 
which  began  yesterday  in  the  Packer  Memorial  Church 
of  Lehigh  University  at  Bethlehem,  Pennsylvania,  was 
guided  by  the  sounds  of  the  ancient  trombones  that 
heralded  the  session  high  in  the  belfry  in  the  traditional 
manner.  In  every  way  the  sacred  character  of  the  Fes¬ 
tival  was  preserved — in  the  sequence  of  the  musical 
numbers  as  in  a  service;  in  the  omission  from  the  pro- 


1 1  I 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


gramme-book  of  all  but  the  best  of  the  vocal  pieces, 
while  the  congregational  hymns  were  printed  in  full, 
words  and  music. 

The  listener,  at  the  first  sounds  of  this  famous  choir, 
might  have  felt  a  momentary  disappointment.  The 
truth  is  that  the  quality  is  less  vocal  than  spiritual.  It 
is  peculiarly  a  choir  of  worship. 

The  opening  number,  a  motet  for  double  chorus, 
“  Sing  ye  to  the  Lord  a  new-made  song,”  was  a  feat  of 
original  interpretation.  There  is  a  magic  charm  in  this 
maze  of  many  melodic  parts,  seemingly  independent, 
yet  adorning  and  supporting  each  other,  and  all  without 
a  note  of  instrumental  accompaniment.  Then  suddenly 
one  part  stands  out  like  a  flashing  ray  through  the 
sweet  murmur  of  other  voices.  Indeed,  one  of  the 
special  feats  of  Dr.  Wolle’s  training  is  the  special  sepa¬ 
rate  expression  of  a  single  part  against  the  concerting 
chorus.  For  the  training  is,  of  course,  the  secret  of  this 
wonderful  achievement.  For  a  long  time  yesterday,  in 
the  midst  of  the  motet,  Dr.  Wolle  omitted  all  visible 
signs  of  direction,  while  the  complex  maneuvres  of  at 
least  eight  separate  vocal  parts  held  their  perfect  array 
and,  moreover,  rang  out  anon  a  fervent  accent  here,  or 
moved  through  a  long  swell  of  increasing  volume. 

After  the  motet,  an  excellent  orchestra,  drawn  mainly 
from  our  own  Philadelphia  organization,  played  a  con¬ 
certo  of  Bach,  familiar  to  the  audiences  of  the  sym¬ 
phony  concert.  It  was  surprising  how  great  was  the 
volume  of  merely  two  basses. 

The  concerto  was  like  a  “fanfare”  for  the  festival, 
which  now  continued  with  a  tenor  aria,  “So  be  thou 


I  I  2 


THE  BACH  CHOIR  OF  1914  AT  LEHIGH  UNIVERSITY 


* 

- 


THE  NINTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 


still,”  sung  by  Nicholas  Douty.  It  is  hard  to  imagine 
one  of  these  festivals  without  the  aid  of  this  gifted 
singer,  whose  native  fervor  joined  to  a  thorough-going 
art,  peculiarly  expresses  the  spirit  of  Bach’s  sacred  mu¬ 
sic.  There  is  no  applause  at  these  festivals.  One  almost 
felt  the  storm  of  silent  approval,  especially  after  Mr. 
Douty’s  singing  of  “  Bide,  ye  angels,  bide  with  me,”  the 
most  lovely  and  altogether  contenting  of  the  arias.  .  .  . 

Then  into  the  midst  of  the  programme  broke  the 
chorus  of  the  congregation  on  some  ancient  hymns, 
set  by  Bach  in  unusual  harmonies,  splendidly  rendered 
by  the  choir,  and  supported  by  the  orchestra  and 
organ.  Into  these  hymns  Dr.  Wolle  threw  all  of  his 
ardor  and  here  he  achieved  some  of  his  most  impres¬ 
sive  climaxes. 

Before  the  end  of  the  first  session  Horatio  Connell 
sang  an  aria,  “Slumber  on,”  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
of  all  the  numbers.  The  session  ended  with  a  famous 
chorus  “World,  farewell,”  that  began  with  the  softest 
accents  and  seemed  the  very  essence  of  devotion. 

The  striking  event  of  the  evening  was  the  render¬ 
ing  of  the  “Magnificat”  that  seems  to  stand  midway 
between  the  smaller  cantatas  and  the  oratorios.  To  tell 
of  all  the  vocal  numbers  would  be  a  repetition  of  the 
earlier  praise,  though  it  is  but  just  to  mention  the 
splendid  singing  of  Miss  Sproule,  and  the  excellent 
performance  of  Lucy  Brickenstein,  as  well  as  Mrs. 
Hunsicker,  in  a  trio  of  women’s  voices.  The  crowning 
wonder  of  all  is  still  the  chorus  —  or  is  it  the  training 
needed  to  produce  a  rendering  extraordinarily  vivid  in 
fervor,  through  a  gamut  of  infinite  shading. 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


THE  TENTH  BACH  FESTIVAL,  I  9 1  5 

The  first  day’s  programme  of  the  tenth  Festi¬ 
val,  May  28,  1915,  had  special  interest  because 
it  presented  the  work  with  which  Dr.  Wolle  be¬ 
gan'  his  expounding  of  Bach  twenty-seven  years 
before.  The  rendition  of  the  “  Passion  accord¬ 
ing  to  St.  John”  by  the  old  Bethlehem  Choral 
Union  in  1888  was  the  first  in  America.  It  has 
been  infrequently  given  in  this  country  since. 
“There  were  concert-goers  of  great  experience 
in  Friday’s  audience  —  say,  rather  congregation,” 
wrote  Mr.  Richard  Aldrich  in  the  “New  York 
Times,”  “to  whom  it  was  a  new  thing.” 

Of  the  1915  presentation  Mr.  Aldrich  said 
that  it  was  “of  a  kind  to  make  a  deep  impres¬ 
sion  on  the  listeners.”  He  praised 

the  admirable  singing  of  the  chorus;  its  enthusiasm, 
its  thorough  preparation,  its  complete  knowledge  of 
the  music  —  music  which  offers  great  difficulties  and  re¬ 
quires  a  special  familiarity  with  its  style.  These  qualities 
have  always  characterized  the  singing  of  Dr.  Wolle’s 
Bach  Choir.  It  can  now  be  said  that  the  material  of  the 
chorus,  the  average  quality  of  the  voices,  the  beauty  of 
its  tone,  the  balance  of  its  parts,  are  much  superior  to 
what  they  were  in  years  gone  by.  .  .  . 


THE  TENTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 


By  its  performance  of  the  great  “  B  Minor  Mass” 
Dr.  Wolle’s  Choir  has  made  history  for  itself;  it  has 
presented  it  many  times  ;  and  on  one  notable  occasion, 
a  dozen  years  ago,  was  said  to  be  ready  to  go  through 
it  from  beginning  to  end  without  notes. 

As  is  Dr.  Wolle’s  invariable  and  commendable  cus¬ 
tom,  each  of  these  works  was  given  without  an  omis¬ 
sion,  and  each  in  two  sessions,  one  in  the  afternoon 
and  the  other  in  the  evening.  He  might  well  write  up 
over  the  portals  of  his  auditorium  the  motto  that  stands 
over  another  famous  auditorium  -:  “  Res  Severa  Verum 
Gaudium.” 

In  a  two-thousand-word  account  in  the  “  New 
York  Sun,”  Mr.  William  J.  Henderson  com¬ 
mented,  in  opening:  — 

The  interest  in  the  festival  was  sufficiently  large  and 
widespread  to  attract  hearers  from  seventeen  States. 
New  York  City  was  represented  by  David  and  Clara 
Mannes,  Mrs.  Frank  Damrosch  and  Miss  Damrosch, 
Mrs.  Annie  Nathan  Meyer,  Dr.  Lyman  Abbott  and 
Miss  Abbott  and  others.  Packer  Memorial  Church, 
the  chapel  of  Lehigh  University,  was  filled  to  its  ca¬ 
pacity  of  twelve  hundred,  and  the  attitude  of  the  audi¬ 
ences  betokened  a  deep  interest  in  the  music  and  its 
presentation. 

It  is  a  privilege  to  quote  paragraphs  from  Mr. 
Henderson’s  article  giving  a  helpful  historical 
background : — 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


We  are  bound  to  recollect  that  the  ecclesiastical  works 
of  Bach  are  the  highest  musical  expression  of  the  Prot¬ 
estant  faith,  just  precisely  as  those  of  Palestrina  are  the 
most  beautiful  embodiment  of  the  belief  of  Catholicism. 
Palestrina  wrote  his  “Marcelline  Mass”  some  years 
after  Luther’s  highest  activity  had  been  reached,  that 
activity  which  laid  the  foundations  for  the  work  of 
Bach.  Roman  church  music  had  been  marching  along 
its  slow  path  of  development  ever  since  Pope  Julian 
had  founded  his  Schola  Cantorum  in  the  beginning  of 
the  fourth  century.  Protestant  music  began  with  the 
Lutheran  hymns,  and  their  children,  the  Bach  chorales, 
are  determining  factors  in  the  character  of  these  Passion 
compositions. 

A  tenor  voice  narrates  the  story,  the  other  solo  voices 
entering  to  sing  the  utterances  of  the  actors  in  the 
drama  or  to  deliver  those  arias  in  which  the  composer 
embodies  the  thoughts  and  emotions  of  the  Christian 
soul  contemplating  the  history  before  it.  The  chorus 
represents  the  people  concerned  in  the  drama.  But 
the  chorale  is  the  great  proclamation  of  the  Protestant 
Church  itself  and  for  this  reason  becomes  the  congre¬ 
gational  portion  of  the  service.  The  congregation,  or 
audience,  at  the  Bethlehem  festivals,  rises  and  sings 
the  chorales,  just  as  their  predecessors  did  in  Coethen, 
Weimar,  or  Leipsic. 

Naturally  there  are  no  chorales  in  the  “B  Minor 
Mass,”  and  here  arises  the  question  why  Bach,  a  Protes¬ 
tant  to  the  core,  composed  this  work.  He  was  living  in 
the  domain  of  the  Duke  of  Saxony,  who  was  a  Roman 
Catholic,  as  were  many  other  Germans.  The  great 


THE  TENTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 


master  wrote  five  masses,  of  which  only  the  “  B  Minor” 
is  of  the  first  rank  among  his  creations.  But  just  as  he 
utilized  materials  from  his  Protestant  cantatas  in  mak¬ 
ing  these  lesser  masses,  so  did  he  preserve  in  the  “  B 
Minor”  work  the  style  of  his  mighty  choruses  in  the 
“Passions.”  The  result  is  something  utterly  unlike 
any  Roman  music,  something  publishing  the  spirit  of 
the  Reformation  in  such  a  manner  that  the  work  has 
been  well  christened  the  Protestant  mass. 

These  were  the  two  masterpieces  selected  for  the 
tenth  Bach  Festival  and  their  performance  had  merits 
of  a  high  order  as  well  as  shortcomings  perhaps  ines¬ 
capable.  The  chief  difficulty  in  presenting  such  works 
to-day  is  to  get  soloists  who  can  sing  them.  The  nar¬ 
rator’s  part  in  the  “St.  John,”  as  in  the  “St.  Matthew 
Passion”  is  cruelly  difficult.  Mr.  Douty  on  the  whole 
deserved  credit,  though  he  would  have  deserved  more 
had  he  been  less  eager  to  squeeze  sentiment  out  of 
every  phrase.  .  .  . 

The  Bethlehem  Choir,  which  is  now  twice  as  large 
as  it  was  in  the  beginning,  contains  good  material  and 
it  has  been  well  rehearsed.  The  members  of  this  chorus 
love  their  duties  and  study  all  winter  with  enthusiasm. 
Some  of  their  singing,  as  in  the  great  opening  chorus 
of  the  “St.  John  Passion,”  “  Lord,  our  Redeemer,”  was 
superb  in  its  splendor  of  tone,  in  the  clarity  of  its  treat¬ 
ment  of  the  polyphony,  in  its  variety  of  accent  and 
color  and  in  its  firmness  of  texture.  Other  choral  num¬ 
bers,  “If  this  Man  were  not  an  evildoer,”  the  fugato, 
“We  have  a  law”  and  “We  salute  thee,”  were  also 
admirably  delivered.  The  “  Mass  ”  naturally  went  well ; 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


it  is  the  battle-horse  of  the  Bethlehem  Chorus.  The 
members  of  the  Philadelphia  Orchestra  played  excel¬ 
lently.  .  .  . 

Of  the  place  and  significance  of  music  festivals  in 
this  country  something  may  be  said  hereafter.  At  pres¬ 
ent  it  is  necessary  only  to  note  that  in  great  commu¬ 
nities,  which  enjoy  a  continual  outpour  of  music,  the 
festival  must  resolve  itself  into  a  series  of  concerts  of 
music  of  one  master  by  the  musical  forces,  as  in  the 
instances  of  the  Beethoven  and  Brahms  Festivals  given 
by  the  Symphony  Society  of  New  York.  In  other 
cities  or  towns  festivals  of  various  composers  are 
given.  Many  of  these  so-called  festivals  have  little 
real  value,  since  they  display  no  coherent  artistic  plan. 
Because  of  its  concentration  of  aim  and  its  sincerity 
of  spirit  the  Bethlehem  Festival  occupies  a  most  im¬ 
portant  place  in  the  musical  activities  of  the  United 
States. 

A  like  opinion  was  expressed  by  Mr.  Henry 
T.  Finck  in  the  “New  York  Evening  Post”  of 
May  31,  where  he  said  that  “among  the  many 
music  festivals  given  in  this  country  every  year 
none  is  more  notable  than  the  Bach  Festival  at 
Bethlehem.”  Mr.  Finck  declared  that  Dr.  Wolle 
“has  trained  a  choir  which  for  euphony,  pre¬ 
cision,  and  dramatic  eloquence  equals  the  famous 
Toronto  choir  of  Dr.  Voght.”  Other  paragraphs 
from  the  “Evening  Post”  criticism  follow:  — 

1 1 8 


THE  TENTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 


If  applause  were  allowed  in  a  church  (the  perform¬ 
ance  was  given  in  the  Packer  Memorial  Church  of 
Lehigh  University)  the  singers  would  doubtless  have 
been  amply  rewarded  for  their  sincere  and  often  most 
praiseworthy  efforts  to  cope  with  their  ungrateful  tasks 
—  ungrateful,  that  is,  from  the  technical  point  of  view 
only,  for  most  of  the  airs  assigned  to  the  singers  are  of 
great  beauty. .  .  . 

The  “Second  Brandenburg  Concerto”  .  .  .  was  fol¬ 
lowed  by  the  chorus  “World,  farewell,”  in  which  Dr. 
Wolle  secured  from  his  singers  a  most  exquisite  pian¬ 
issimo —  the  highest  test  of  choral  proficiency.  There 
are  no  expression  marks  in  Bach’s  music,  this  impor¬ 
tant  matter  being  left  to  the  conductor.  Dr.  Wolle 
showed  good  judgment  and  taste  in  this  matter,  steer¬ 
ing  a  safe  middle  course  between  those  who  interpret 
Bach  mechanically  and  those  who  over-sentimentalize. 
There  were  some  wonderful  floating  sound  effects  in 
the  Golgotha  section,  and  nothing  could  have  been 
more  sublime  and  thrilling  than  the  performance  of  the 
splendidly  dramatic  “  Crucify  ”  which  forms  the  climax 
of  the  whole  work.  To  hear  this,  and  the  “Aw.ay  with 
H  im,”  would  alone  have  been  worth  a  trip  to  Bethlehem. 

“  Bach  expected  the  impossible  from  his  sing¬ 
ers  and  Mr.  Wolle  got  it  from  them,”  wrote  Dr. 
Lyman  Abbott  of  the  Festival  in  the  “  Outlook” 
of  June  9. 

Mr.  Waldo,  in  the  “  Philadelphia  Public 
Ledger”  of  May  31,  1915,  asked: — 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


Did  ever  the  same  number  of  bass  singers  —  and 
one  might  as  well  say  tenors,  or  altos,  or  sopranos,  for 
that  matter — lift  such  a  volume  of  sound  with  all  their 
souls  and  voices  as  these  singers  of  Bethlehem  at  their 
leader’s  behest?  Not  less  astonishing  and  thrilling  was 
the  pianissimo  at  the  other  end  of  the  pneumatic  and 
dynamic  gamut;  the  singing  with  lips  closed  was  as 
the  sound  of  a  vast  fEolian  harp  “as  the  breezes  blow 
through  a  tree”  and  it  was  hard  to  believe  the  sound 
was  choral  and  not  instrumental. 

In  the  “Philadelphia  Press”  of  May  29,  Mr. 
E.  V.  Chamberlin  reported  :  — 

Comment  among  the  enthusiasts  who  have  been  in 
attendance  on  this  Festival  reveals  a  pretty  general  im¬ 
pression  that  in  some  respects  it  was  the  most  success¬ 
ful  in  point  of  artistic  achievement  in  the  history  of 
choral  music  in  America. 

The  review  of  the  Festival  presented  by  Mr. 
Juli  us  Hartt  in  the  “Hartford  Daily  Times” 
included  the  following:  — 

The  Bach  Choir  concerns  itself  little  with  elocutional 
musical  artifices.  These  singers  have  learned  that  the 
technicalities  of  chorus  delivery  are  but  art  skeletons. 
The  bones  do  not  rattle.  The  Choir  has  been  wonder¬ 
fully  trained  in  all  the  mechanical  details  of  chorus 
singing.  Rhythmic  and  dynamic  nuancing  have  been 
carried  to  a  point  of  extraordinary  efficiency.  But  the 
great  and  distinctive  thing  about  it  is  that  this  superb 


I  20 


THE  ELEVENTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 


mechanical  efficiency  has  become  entirely  tributary  to 
and  swallowed  up  in  spiritual  and  artistic  comprehen¬ 
sion.  .  .  . 

Nothing  more  beautiful,  nothing  more  uplifting  has 
been  accomplished  in  the  history  of  musical  art  in 
America  than  the  1915  Bach  Festival  of  the  Bach 
Choir  of  Bethlehem. 

THE  ELEVENTH  BACH  FESTIVAL,  1916 

“Bethlehem’s  Unique  Music  Festival  —  Best 
Choir  in  the  United  States  sings  Bach.” 

These  words  were  a  part  of  the  headlines 
above  two  columns  of  correspondence  regard¬ 
ing  the  1916  Bach  Festival  in  the  “New  York 
Evening  Post  ”  of  May  29,  written  by  Mr.  Henry 
T.  Finck.  Paragraphs  from  Mr.  Finck’s  account 
follow  :  — 

New  York  has  long  been  the  best  place  on  this  globe 
to  hear  famous  opera  singers.  Thanks  to  the  havoc 
created  in  Europe  by  the  war,  it  has  now  also  become 
the  world’s  musical  metropolis,  so  far  as  orchestral  con¬ 
certs  and  recitals  by  famous  soloists  are  concerned.  But 
in  one  thing  New  York  does  not  lead.  To  hear  a  thrill¬ 
ing  performance  of  the  choral  works  of  the  greatest  of 
all  composers — Johann  Sebastian  Bach  —  we  have  to 
go  west  ninety  miles  from  New  York  to  the  city  of 
Bethlehem,  Pennsylvania,  which  has  made  a  specialty 
of  the  works  of  Bach,  as  Bayreuth  has  of  the  operas 


I  21 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


and  music  dramas  of  Wagner.  Music  festivals  there 
are  aplenty  throughout  the  country  every  spring  and 
summer,  but  what  is  heard  in  them  is  equaled  or  sur¬ 
passed  in  the  metropolis.  Bethlehem  alone  offers  what 
cannot  be  —  or,  at  any  rate,  is  not  —  duplicated  else¬ 
where. 

Mr.  Finck,  after  an  outline  of  the  1916  pro¬ 
gramme,  which  included  the  “  Christmas  Ora¬ 
torio”  and  the  “Mass  in  B  Minor”  on  May  26 
and  27,  went  on:  — 

Bach  was  intensely  human  —  miles  from  the  stiff, 
dry  pedagogue  some  persons  consider  him,  to  his  and 
their  own  detriment.  What  could  be  more  human  than 
the  “Ah!  my  Saviour,  I  entreat  Thee,”  in  Part  IV? 
It  is  an  air  for  soprano,  with  one  of  those  pleasing  echo 
effects  that  were  frequently  heard  in  popular  music  of 
Bach’s  day.  As  a  rule  his  music  reflects  the  spirit  of 
the  text  admirably,  sometimes  as  realistically  as  in  the 
songs  of  Schubert  and  Liszt;  but  in  this  case  the  dear 
old  master  (and  we  love  him  the  more  for  it)  had  such 
a  pretty  tune  and  such  clever  effects  in  his  head  that 
he  forgot  all  about  the  ecclesiastic  text  and  created  a  so¬ 
prano  solo,  with  quaint  oboe  obbligato  and  echo  effects, 
which  would  constitute  a  prime  attraction  at  a  popular 
Sunday  afternoon  concert.  The  same  is  true  of  the 
lovely  cradle  song,  “Slumber,  beloved.” 

These  are  samples  of  a  dozen  numbers  that  might 
be  dwelt  on  in  detail  if  space  permitted.  Hugo  Wolf 
used  to  say  that  Brahms  did  not  know  how  to  exult. 


122 


THE  ELEVENTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 


He  could  not  have  said  that  of  Bach,  who  is  the  master 
of  masters  in  the  expression  of  jubilant  sentiment,  as 
exemplified  in  several  numbers  of  this  oratorio,  notably 
the  openingchorus  of  Part  III,  “  Hear,  Kingof  Angels.” 
What  splendid  rhythmic  vigor  there  is  in  “  Glory  be 
to  God  Almighty,”  what  a  wealth  of  harmony  and  me¬ 
lody  in  the  choral  and  solo  parts  !  In  these  things,  too, 
Bach  is  the  master  of  masters.  In  listening  to  this  music 
one  realizes  why  Beethoven  exclaimed:  “  Not  Bach 
[brook]  should  be  his  name,  but  Ocean.”  The  depth 
of  this  music  is  to  be  measured  by  miles,  yet  when  it  is 
sung  as  the  Bethlehem  Choir  sings  it,  under  Dr.  Wolle, 
it  is  easy  to  look  down  into  its  depths  and  marvel  at  its 
wealth  of  ideas,  intricate  part  writing,  and  subtly  varied 
details.  It  is  no  wonder  that  so  many  of  the  hearers  at 
Bethlehem  read  their  scores  while  listening  to  the  music. 
It  is  an  added  joy  to  follow  with  the  eyes  the  marvelous 
linear  texture  and  patterning  of  this  music,  with  its  un¬ 
equaled  part  writing  for  the  voices  as  well  as  the  instru¬ 
ments. 

Dr.  Wolle  is  not  one  of  those  of  whom  it  has  been 
said  by  a  British  writer  that  they  set  a  Bach  chorus  go¬ 
ing  “like  a  lot  of  noisy  machinery  in  a  factory.”  He 
resorts,  on  the  contrary,  to  the  most  delicate  and  varied 
shading.  In  doing  so  he  has  to  use  his  own  judgment. 
Bach  put  few  expression  marks  into  his  music,  but  we 
know  from  Quantz  and  other  contemporaries  of  his  that 
he  used  expression  as  freely  as  we  do.  Some  of  the 
pianissimo  effects  which  Dr.  Wolle  gets  are  thrilling; 
to  sing  pianissimo  is  one  of  the  hardest  feats  of  a  chorus 
to  perform. 


123 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


Yet  it  is  still  more  difficult  to  sing  the  intricate 
choruses  of  the  great  “Mass”  as  they  were  sung  on 
Saturday.  The  climax  at  the  end  of  the  first  “  Kyrie  ” 
seemed  the  limit  of  human  achievement,  yet  the  singers 
rose  to  even  greater  heights  of  sublimity  in  the  final 
choruses  of  the  “  Mass,”  which  produced  an  over¬ 
whelming  effect  on  the  hearers.  These  alone,  had  noth¬ 
ing  else  been  sung,  would  have  made  the  trip  to  Beth¬ 
lehem  worthwhile.  The  Choir  does  not  sing  for  money. 
It  is  made  up  of  local  amateurs  who  sing  for  sheer  love 
of  music  as  embodied  in  Bach.  Wagner  said  that  the 
choral  numbers  in  Beethoven’s  Ninth  Symphony  could 
be  mastered  only  under  the  stimulus  of  enthusiasm. 
How  great  must  be  the  enthusiasm  of  these  sing¬ 
ers  thus  to  master  the  choruses  of  the  Bach  “  Mass,” 
which  are  still  more  difficult  than  Beethoven’s  !  How 
could  the  sopranos,  in  particular,  stand  the  strains  of 
those  high  notes,  two  afternoons  and  evenings  in  suc¬ 
cession,  one  wonders ;  but  they  did  it  nobly,  and  all 
sang  the  ornamental  passages  with  a  virtuosity  equal  to 
that  of  the  best  soloists. 

The  artists  heard  in  the  solo  parts  were  Marie  Stod- 
dart,  Lucy  A.  Brickenstein,  Maude  Sproule,  Reed 
Miller,  Charles  T.  Tittmann  (whose  fine  bass  voice  is 
the  envy  of  many),  Grace  Kerns,  Christine  Miller, 
Nicholas  Douty,  and  Arthur  Herschmann.  Concern¬ 
ing  most  of  them  pleasant  words  might  be  written, 
but  soloists,  good  and  indifferent,  and  orchestras  are 
heard  in  New  York  every  day,  whereas  Dr.  Wolle’s 
Bethlehem  chorus  is  unique  and  incomparable  in  its 
field. 


THE  BACH  CHOIR  OF  1916  ON  1! 


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:  LEHIGH  UNIVERSITY  CAMPUS 


THE  ELEVENTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 

Mr.  Henderson’s  “New  York  Sun”  account, 
on  Monday,  May  29,  began  thus:  — 

The  annual  Festival  of  Bach  music  at  Bethlehem, 
Pennsylvania,  occupied  Friday  and  Saturday,  coming  to 
a  deeply  impressive  conclusion  in  the  early  evening  of 
the  second  day.  The  sessions  of  the  first  day  were  held 
at  4  and  8  p.m.,  but  because  the  last  trains  out  of  Beth¬ 
lehem  for  everywhere  except  Wilkes-Barre  and  Buffalo 
leave  earlier  than  8.15  p.m.,  it  has  been  found  conveni¬ 
ent  to  hold  the  Saturday  sessions  at  2  and  5  p.m.  This 
gives  time  for  an  interval  of  an  hour  between  the  two; 
and  in  that  period  visitors  walk  about  the  beautiful 
campus  of  Lehigh  University  or  climb  to  its  higher 
levels  and  gaze  at  the  lovely  landscape  stretching  miles 
away  to  the  slopes  of  the  Blue  Mountains. 

After  several  paragraphs  about  the  earlier  Fes¬ 
tivals,  Mr.  Henderson  continued:  — 

The  presentation  of  the  “Christmas  Oratorio”  at 
a  May  Festival  is  not  in  the  least  out  of  season.  Two 
substantial  reasons  may  be  offered  for  this.  In  the 
first  place,  the  birth,  death,  and  resurrection  of  Christ 
are  the  foundations  of  the  Christian  Church,  and  their 
celebration  can  never  be  out  of  season.  Secondly,  in 
the  art  of  Bach  the  glorification  and  adoration  of  Jesus 
are  supreme  subjects.  His  vocal  compositions  for 
church  use  are  his  greatest  creations,  and  among  them 
those  which  reach  the  sublimest  heights  are  the  “  Pas¬ 
sion  according  to  St.  Matthew,”  and  the  “B  Minor 
Mass.”  Next  to  these  must  be  ranked  the  “  Passion 


125 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


according  to  St.  John  ”  (given  at  last  year’s  Bethlehem 
Festival)  the  “  Magnificat,”  the  “  Christmas  Oratorio,” 
and  some  of  the  singularly  eloquent  and  characteristic 
cantatas,  such  as  “God  goeth  up  with  shouting,”  “I 
with  my  cross-staff,”  “Strike,  oh,  strike,”  and  “  Sleep¬ 
ers,  wake.” 

The  “  Mass”  is  Bach’s  most  triumphant  proclama¬ 
tion  of  his  faith.  It  is  an  old  story  among  music-lovers 
that  it  is  a  mass  only  in  form.  It  does  set  the  text  of 
the  Catholic  ritual,  but  then  it  sings  it  to  the  clarion 
accents  of  the  Lutheran  reformation.  It  is  the  over¬ 
whelming  challenge  of  the  Protestant  church  militant. 
The  “Passions”  and  the  “Christmas  Oratorio”  are 
the  chants  of  the  church  adoring.  They  are  the  perfect 
flower  of  the  soul’s  service.  They  are  Bach’s  deepest 
and  tenderest  canticles  of  the  Christian’s  ineffable  love 
for  his  Lord,  and  they  voice  also  his  rejoicing  in  the 
knowledge  of  salvation. 

The  “Christmas  Oratorio,”  to  be  sure,  was  not  orig¬ 
inally  given  in  one  day.  Bach  wrote  it  in  1734  in  six 
parts,  one  of  which  was  heard  on  each  of  the  six  days 
of  the  Christmas  Festival  in  the  Thomas  Church  in 
Leipsic.  The  first  three  parts  were  given  successively 
on  December  25,  26,  and  27.  The  others  were  sung  on 
the  Feast  of  the  Circumcision,  the  Sunday  after  the 
New  Year,  and  the  Epiphany.  On  Friday  last  the  three 
parts  were  sung  in  the  afternoon  and  the  others  in  the 
evening.  The  audience  occupied  every  seat  in  the 
church.  Many  were  turned  away.  There  were  musicians, 
singers,  conductors  and  music-lovers  from  various  sec¬ 
tions  of  the  country. 


THE  ELEVENTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 


It  is  not  at  all  pleasant  to  have  to  record  that,  if  any 
of  these  visitors  were  present  for  the  first  time,  they 
must  have  been  disappointed.  In  the  first  place,  the 
whole  interpretation  of  the  “Oratorio”  seemed  to  be 
under  a  spell  of  heaviness,  and  that,  too,  despite  the  fact 
that  Dr.  J.  Fred  Wolle,  conductor  of  the  Festivals  since 
their  beginning,  was  wise  enough  to  push  all  the  solo 
airs  along  at  a  good  pace. 

The  orchestra  was  selected  from  Philadelphia’s  excel¬ 
lent  organization,  but  the  performance  was  lamentably 
prolific  in  technical  slips,  particularly  in  the  difficult 
trumpet  parts.  The  soloists  were  Marie  Stoddart,  so¬ 
prano,  Maude  Sproule,  alto;  Reed  Miller,  tenor,  and 
Charles  Tittmann,  bass.  Lucy  A.  Brickenstein,  leading 
soprano  of  the  Choir  from  its  foundation,  sang  the  echo 
part  in  the  surpassingly  beautiful  “  Ah  !  my  Saviour,  I 
entreat  Thee,”  in  which  the  exclamations  of  the  soprano 
are  repeated  by  a  voice  outside.  Miss  Brickenstein  was 
as  steady  as  a  rock.  Mr.  Miller  sang  his  recitatives 
with  intelligence  and  good  voice.  He  showed  that  he 
understood  the  Bach  style.  .  .  . 

Dr.  Wolle  was  commended  last  spring  for  his  greater 
respect  for  the  style  of  Bach  and  for  his  relaxation  of 
his  rule  that  all  closing  cadences  should  slacken  their 
rate  of  movement  almost  to  the  stopping  point.  He 
was  thanked  for  making  less  of  a  bugbear  of  the  appog- 
giatura,  a  technical  affair  with  which  Bach  camps  are 
internally  disturbed,  but  about  which  the  general  reader 
need  not  concern  himself. 

But  this  year  the  distinguished  Bach  interpreter 
treated  his  audience  to  some  extraordinary  readings  of 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


the  chorales,  which,  as  musical  students  know,  are  the 
harmonized  hymn  tunes  scattered  through  the  work. 
Surely  Bach  never  conceived  such  highly  developed 
crescendi  and  diminuendi,  such  large  and  sudden  con¬ 
trasts  of  tone,  such  extreme  application  of  purely  super¬ 
ficial  effects  of  chorus  singing.  To  one  Bach  lover,  at 
any  rate,  the  singing  of  the  chorales  sounded  like  ex¬ 
hibitions  of  the  Bethlehem  Chorus  rather  than  of  the 
true  spirit  of  Bach. 

Mr.  H.  T.  Parker,  writing  in  the  “  Boston 
Evening  Transcript,”  said:  — 

The  “  Christmas  Oratorio  ”  was  good  to  hear  not 
merely  as  a  curiosity,  not  merely  for  the  learned  in  Bach 
and  in  spite  of  sundry  shortcomings  in  performance. 
The  representatives  of  the  Philadelphia  Orchestra  did 
not  distinguish  themselves  in  either  “Mass”  or  “Ora¬ 
torio.”  The  trumpets  were  not  up  to  their  usually 
flaming  and  exacting  parts;  the  horns  lacked  richness  ; 
the  violins  transparency  and  unity;  the  whole  orchestra 
surety  and  elasticity.  The  solo  singers  were  negligible 
—  happily  negligible  in  that  they  did  not  stand  in  the 
way  of  the  music;  the  chorus  left  something  to  be  de¬ 
sired  in  the  body  of  tenor  tone,  for  example,  and  in  an 
occasional  heaviness  of  accent  and  sluggishness  of  ascent 
and  descent ;  while  the  conductor  curiously  dolled  with 
ornament  and  sentimentalized  in  mood  those  sturdy, 
square-cut,  and  straightforward  hymn-tunes  that  Bach 
harmonized  into  chorales. 

Yet  there  were  compensating  virtues.  Mr.  Wolle 
shuns  the  slow  and  dragging  pace  even  in  the  longest 

I  28 


THE  ELEVENTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 


drawn  of  Bach’s  airs  ;  he  keeps  the  singing  of  his  choir 
rhythmically  alive  ;  he  is  finely  apt  in  some  of  his  tran¬ 
sitions  and  imaginative  in  his  shadings ;  he  can  propel 
his  singers  upward  in  thrilling  flights  of  song  (as  in  the 
“Gloria”  of  the  “  Mass”)  or  hold  them  as  thrillingly 
in  sustained  and  moving  mass  of  tone  (as  in  the  super¬ 
human  progressions  of  the  “  Sanctus  ”)  or  make  a  chorus 
of  rejoicing  leap  as  it  were  into  the  voices  that  sing  and 
the  ears  that  hear.  Moreover,  he  knows  and  feels  better 
than  some  of  his  solo  singers  the  suffused  and  haunting 
sweetness  that  exhales  out  of  not  a  few  of  Bach’s  airs  in 
the  “  Christmas  Oratorio”  even  when  they  seem  most 
of  the  passing  fashion  of  the  composer’s  time. 

Mr.  Waldo’s  May  29  article  in  the  “Phila¬ 
delphia  Public  Ledger,”  gave  an  explanation  as  to 
the  orchestral  playing.  The  Philadelphia  Orches¬ 
tra  had  concerts  at  home  at  the  same  time  and 
“  many  performers  who  appeared  at  the  Academy 
of  Music  in  Philadelphia  were  sorely  needed  in 
Packer  Memorial  Church  at  Bethlehem  and  their 
places  were  filled  by  inferior  performers.”  Dr. 
Waldo  has  repeatedly  urged,  in  his  reviews,  addi¬ 
tional  joint  rehearsals  of  the  choir  and  orchestral 

Were  not  the  expense  apparently  prohibitive,  it 
would  be  highly  desirable  to  hold  more  than  a  single 
eleventh-hour  rehearsal  of  the  combined  forces.  The 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


choir  works  together  for  most  of  the  year  round,  and 
it  knows  the  score  backward  and  forward,  waking  or 
sleeping.  To  expect  the  ideal  cooperation  with  one  re¬ 
hearsal  is  to  expect  the  impossible. 

Mr.  Aldrich  in  the  “  New  York  Times,”  had 
this  to  say :  — 

The  “Christmas  Oratorio”  is  not  altogether  easy 
listening  for  modern  ears,  especially  in  such  long 
stretches,  because  of  the  great  number  of  solo  airs  and 
recitatives  and  of  the  duets  it  contains;  and  though 
many  of  them  are  of  much  sweetness  and  beauty,  some 
seem  dry  and  very  long,  and  their  difficulties,  seldom 
triumphantly  mastered,  put  a  strain  upon  the  singers 
that  is  communicated  to  the  listeners.  Nor  can  it  be  said 
that  that  performance  was  up  to  the  recent  standard  of 
the  Bach  Choir.  The  tenor  quality  of  the  choir  lacked 
beauty;  the  sopranos  were  sometimes  shrill.  Many  of 
the  choruses  were  superbly  sung,  with  energy,  with 
varied  nuance,  and  not  without  that  precision  that  is  in¬ 
dispensable  to  the  proper  effect  of  Bach’s  style.  Others 
were  sung  not  so  well;  notably  the  opening  chorus. 
There  were  here  and  later  in  the  performance,  sluggish 
attacks,  a  lack  of  clearness  and  elasticity  that  were  in¬ 
jurious.  Many  must  have  dissented  from  Mr.  Wolle’s 
way  of  treating  some  of  the  chorales. 

A  critic  who  did  not  dissent  was  Mr.  Peyser, 
whose  “Musical  America”  article  maintained 
that 


13° 


THE  ELEVENTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 


With  Dr.  Wolle’s  interpretation  of  these  chorales 
there  need  be  no  quarrel  because  of  the  seemingly  ar¬ 
bitrary  introduction  of  dynamic  shadings.  The  under¬ 
lying  sentiment  of  the  text  supplied  ample  warrant  for 
what  he  did  along  these  lines,  and  the  result  was  not  at 
all  incompatible  with  the  spirit  of  the  music. 

The  performance  of  the  “  Mass  ”  last  Saturday  was 
the  finest  it  has  been  the  writer’s  happy  privilege  to  hear 
on  any  of  his  Bethlehem  visits.  .  .  .  “Colossal,” 
“  stupendous,”  “  magnificent,”  —  only  such  expressions 
as  these  come  to  mind  in  pondering  over  such  displays 
of  high  choral  art.  The  greatest  ecclesiastical  work  ever 
composed  was  sung  last  Saturday  as  it,  in  all  likelihood, 
never  has  been  in  this  country  before.  And  the  greatest 
choral  moments  of  the  Festival  were  the  “  Incarnatus,” 
“Crucifixus,”  “Et  Resurrexit,”  “Confiteor,”  and 
“  Sanctus,”  in  the  last  named  of  which  the  zephyr-like 
deploying  triplets  of  the  soprano  and  contralto  parts 
caress  the  stanch  bass  melody  like  angelic  wings.  .  .  . 

The  first  day’s  soloists  were  Marie  Stoddart,  Maude 
Sproule,  Lucy  Brickenstein,  Reed  Miller  and  Charles 
Tittmann.  .  .  .  Mr.  Miller  accomplished  the  finest  solo 
singing  of  the  day.  .  .  . 

A  substitution  in  the  solo  ranks  was  necessitated  by 
the  illness  of  Caroline  Hudson-Alexander.  Her  place 
was  taken  by  Grace  Kerns  who  had  not  sung  the 
“  Mass  ”  in  years  and  who  shouldered  the  task  on  short 
notice.  The  reviewer  has  no  wish  and  indeed  no  ex¬ 
pectation  of  ever  hearing  the  soprano  part  sung  more 
ravishingly  or  with  keener  intelligence  and  more  consum¬ 
mate  finish.  It  was  such  singing  as  would  have  justified 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


applause  in  a  church.  So,  too,  was  that  of  Christine 
Miller,  great  vocalist,  great  artist.  .  .  .  There  were  moist 
eyes  in  the  audience  when  Miss  Miller  touched  the 
afternoon’s  summit  of  beauty  with  the  glorified  “  Agnus 
Dei.” 

The  tenor  part  was  carried  by  the  always  depend¬ 
able  Nicholas  Douty,  who  earned  his  customary  laurels 
as  an  authoritative  exponent  of  the  Bach  manner.  To 
Arthur  Herschmann  were  allotted  the  two  bass  arias 
and  he  delivered  them  broadly  and  with  understanding. 

The  review  of  Mr.  W.  B.  Murray,  Jr.,  in  the 
“Brooklyn  Eagle”  contained  praise  for  the  con¬ 
tralto  soloist, — 

Christine  Miller,  who  alone  met  the  tremendous  de¬ 
mands  satisfactorily.  The  beauty  of  her  voice  and  the 
finish  of  her  art  are  an  old  story  to  New  York  audi¬ 
ences,  but  it  seemed  that  she  never  sang  more  beauti¬ 
fully  and  with  more  consummate  mastery  of  the  art  of 
song  than  in  the  delivery  of  the  “Agnus  Dei.”  Indi¬ 
vidually,  it  was  the  high-water  mark  of  the  festival.  .  .  . 

Interest,  however,  rested  largely  in  the  Choir.  ...  As 
in  most  amateur  organizations,  there  were  unequal 
values,  the  tenor  division  lacking  in  tone  quality.  Yet 
one  forgets  such  niceties  in  the  perfection  of  the  en¬ 
semble,  in  attack,  unanimity  of  utterance,  handling  of 
crescendo  and  diminuendo  and  variations  of  tempo. 
All  the  involved  counterpoint  of  the  “  Mass  ”  was  han¬ 
dled  with  success  of  execution  and  beauty  of  expression. 
To  Dr.  Wolle,  the  director,  too  much  praise  cannot 
be  given. 


132 


THE  TWELFTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 

Mr.  Harold  P.  Quicksall,  in  the  “  Philadel¬ 
phia  North  American,”  said  of  the  chorales  in 
the  “  Christmas  Oratorio  ”  :  — 

When  the  chorus  had  finished  singing,  without  ac¬ 
companiment,  the  first  chorale  of  Part  I  in  the  most 
finished  fashion,  the  listener  could  not  help  but  see 
that  even  the  lift  of  an  eyebrow  or  the  bending  of  a 
finger  on  the  part  of  Dr.  Wolle  concealed  secrets  of 
the  art  of  choral  training  which  only  a  conductor  could 
fathom. 

Of  the  personnel  of  the  attendance  at  the  1916 
Festival,  the  “Christian  Science  Monitor”  re¬ 
ported  this :  — 

Among  those  who  enjoyed  the  hospitality  of  Presi¬ 
dent  Drinker  of  Lehigh  University  and  Mrs.  Drinker 
were  Mrs.  Theodore  Roosevelt,  Mrs.  Nicholas  Long- 
worth,  Mrs.  Richard  Derby,  Lyman  Abbott,  Dr.  Rich¬ 
ard  C.  Cabot.  Others  present  were  Leopold  Stokow¬ 
ski,  Frank  van  der  Stricken,  Oswald  Garrison  Villard, 
Charles  M.  Schwab,  Dr.  W.  W.  Keen,  Kitty  Cheat¬ 
ham,  Henry  T.  Finck,  W.  J.  Henderson,  Richard 
Aldrich,  Edward  J.  Dodge,  President  of  the  Harvard 
Alumni  chorus. 

THE  TWELFTH  BACH  FESTIVAL,  I917 

The  twelfth  Bach  Festival  was  held  on  June 
1  and  2,  1917,  some  six  weeks  after  the  United 

1  33 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


States  declared  war  upon  Germany.  In  its  edi¬ 
torial  comment  the  “New  York  World”  said  :  — 

Bethlehem’s  Bach  Festival  takes  place  as  usual  with¬ 
out  a  twitter  of  opposition.  The  example  of  sanity  is 
recommended  to  the  musical  pulse  patriots  who  were 
prepared  to  make  an  issue  of  Wagner  at  the  Metro¬ 
politan. 

The  war  aspect  occasioned  the  following  clos¬ 
ing  lines  of  the  critical  review  of  the  Festi¬ 
val  by  Mr.  Pitts  Sanborn  in  the  “New  York 
Globe  ”  :  — 

It  would,  indeed,  be  a  national  calamity  if  war  should 
be  permitted  to  interrupt  even  for  one  year  these  noble 
and  solemn  festivals  which  harmonize  in  every  way 
with  the  loftiest  ideals  and  aspirations  of  humanity  and 
which  so  far  as  this  country  is  concerned  are  unique.  .  .  . 

The  Bach  Festivals  at  Bethlehem  are  important  not 
only  to  art  in  America  but  to  our  humanity.  At  the 
present  moment  they  provide  an  overwhelming  re¬ 
minder  of  the  sublimity  and  the  sublime  humility  which 
a  German  whom  Prussia  had  not  corrupted  could  ex¬ 
press  in  tone.  The  simple  fact  that  a  German  two  cen¬ 
turies  ago  could  be  Johann  Sebastian  Bach  is  as  terrific 
a  single  indictment  as  any  one  can  bring  against  the 
Prussian  system  and  all  its  works. 

The  “Outlook”  editorial  discussion  of  the 
work  of  the  Bach  Choir  had  this  conclusion:  — 

1  34 


THE  TWELFTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 


This  annual  Festival  is  something  that  not  even  the 
world  war  ought  to  be  allowed  to  interfere  with.  There 
are  some  things  which,  even  for  the  great  Allied  cause, 
we  are  not  yet  called  upon  to  sacrifice,  and  this  is  one 
of  them. 

The  geographical  range  of  the  attendance  at 
the  1917  Festival,  the  importance  of  the  pro¬ 
gramme  for  its  premier  American  renditions  of 
cantatas,  and  criticism  of  the  chorus  and  solo 
singing  were  covered  in  special  correspondence  in 
the  “Christian  Science  Monitor,”  of  June  9:  — 

From  twenty-seven  States  the  pilgrims  came  to  the 
Bach  Festival  at  Bethlehem,  June  1  and  2.  At  the  two 
sessions  of  the  first  day  seven  cantatas  and  a  motet,  all 
said  to  be  new  to  America,  were  sung,  and  at  the  two 
performances  on  the  second  day  the  sublime  “  Mass  in 
B  Minor,”  a  feature  of  every  Festival,  was  presented. 
The  impression  left  on  the  minds  of  trained  musicians 
is  that  this  Festival  has  excelled  all  those  that  pre¬ 
ceded.  .  .  . 

In  varying  degree,  yet  in  each  case  acceptably,  the 
soloists  entered  into  the  spirit  of  the  music  and  the 
tradition  of  the  Festivals,  and  there  was  no  conspicu¬ 
ous  defalcation  on  the  part  of  any.  Yet  the  music  of 
the  Choir  itself  seemed  to  tower  above  the  participa¬ 
tion  of  the  individual  auxiliaries,  and  the  delight  of  the 
second  day’s  performance  was  in  its  emphasis  on  the 
chorus  as  a  whole  instead  of  upon  the  executant  vir- 

1  35 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


tuosi  severally.  Most  of  the  cantatas  after  the  opening 
chorus  turned  the  argument  over  to  the  soloists,  with 
the  orchestra,  but  in  the  “  Mass  ”  the  choir  came  grandly 
into  its  own,  and  the  glorious  polyphony  was,  except 
for  brief  episodes,  sustained. 

An  innovation  in  the  seating  arrangement  of  the 
players  brought  the  wood-wind  instruments  into  the 
foreground,  to  throw  into  salient  relief  the  oboe  obbli¬ 
gatos  on  which  Bach  so  tellingly  relies,  and  the  softer 
voices  of  the  flutes.  At  first  the  violins,  between  the 
wood-wind  and  the  Choir,  did  not  proclaim  their  pres¬ 
ence  with  sufficient  energy,  and  this  was  a  dynamic  ad¬ 
justment  that  even  a  few  minutes  of  rehearsal  with  the 
Choir  would  have  gone  far  to  rectify.  The  male  singers, 
instead  of  being  perched  forlornly  on  a  “top  shelf”  at 
the  extreme  rear,  were  placed  in  a  broad  zone  betwixt 
the  soprano  and  the  alto  divisions.  Thus  one  felt  at  all 
times  the  virile  sufficiency  of  tenors  and  basses,  instead 
of  the  feminine  preponderance  that  obtains  in  far  too 
many  mixed  choruses. 

In  the  first  cantata  the  first  of  the  thrilling  and  often 
fairly  blood-curdling  sforzandos,  for  which  the  Choir  is 
noted,  nearly  lifted  the  roof  at  the  word  “  namely,” 
and  the  supreme  effect  was  only  reached  because  of  the 
artful  recession  and  repression  of  the  rest  of  it.  Dr. 
Wolle  is  past-master  of  musical  coloratura,  and,  loving 
to  take  a  choice  morsel  of  Bach  upon  the  tongue,  even 
as  the  preacher  of  old  loved  to  “sweeten  his  mouth 
with  a  piece  of  Calvin,”  he  has  often  been  accused  of 
prolonging  the  holds  and  retarding  the  phrase-endings 
unduly.  The  four-square,  hard  bitten  metronomists  of 

136 


SINGING  THE  B  MINOR  MASS  AT  THE  1917  BACH  FESTIVAL 


THE  TWELFTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 


the  choir  loft  may  lodge  a  valid  objection,  but  the  gleam 
of  the  inner  and  the  outer  light  surely  illumines  for  Dr. 
Wolle’s  listeners  what  would  otherwise  stay  hid  in 
tenebral  recesses  under  the  hand  of  the  martinet.  All 
the  Bach  Choir  sings  is  done  with  rapture  and  zest, 
and  as  it  sings  one  is  likely  to  find  himself  murmuring 
to  his  own  mind,  “  He  maketh  his  angels  spirits  and 
his  ministers  a  flame  of  fire.” 

“  Sing  to  the  Lord,”  the  opening  chorus  of  the  fourth 
cantata,  with  its  immensities  of  trumpet  and  drum,  was 
typical  of  the  tremendous  moments.  At  such  times  Dr. 
Wolle,  lifting  on  high  his  clenched  fists,  seemed  to  in¬ 
vite  fire  from  heaven  to  descend  upon  altars  invisible. 
His  face  was  a-gleam  with  inspiration.  His  hands,  for 
he  uses  no  baton,  are  the  most  expressive  and  eloquent 
feature  of  a  lithe,  spare  figure  which  takes  little  heed 
of  itself  on  the  way  to  its  exaltation. 

Though  this  irrepressibly  vital  personality  dominated 
the  choir  and  the  players  and  the  intent  listeners,  at  the 
times  when  the  chorales  came  and  the  whole  gathering 
rose  and  sang,  one  felt  again  that  the  communal  aspira¬ 
tion  was  the  best  and  the  greatest  part  of  the  music 
that  was  made.  In  a  word,  the  music  of  Bach  is  the 
last  thing  to  choose  for  egotist  or  self-lover  with  the 
itch  to  shine.  It  must  increase  and  the  performer  must 
decrease.  Every  one  of  the  singers  in  the  Bach  Choir 
has  learned  self-suppression  as  certainly  as  self-expres¬ 
sion.  Their  music  goes  humming  with  them  through 
the  roaring  foundries  of  the  smoke-palled  steel  town. 
The  reverberation  of  the  “  Mass  ”  is  the  undercurrent  of 
the  testing  laboratories  of  the  university.  The  rehearsals 


1  37 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


break  down  barriers  of  caste  as  effectually  as  a  railway 
train  in  India.  If  one  would  find  the  ideal  of  commu¬ 
nity  singing,  let  him  repair  to  the  leafy  lap  of  the  hills 
of  Bethlehem. 

Perhaps  the  climax  in  the  “  Mass  ”  came  with  the 
“  Sanctus.”  Here  the  famous  Choir  was  at  its  very 
best,  and  the  flexible  undulation  of  the  voices  in  fleet, 
unerring  progress  through  Bach’s  sublime  exactions  was 
a  feat  of  execution  as  stirring  as  the  immense  diapason 
of  the  men’s  voices,  underpinned  by  the  pedal  point 
of  the  organ,  which  came  booming  into  the  ensemble, 
ever  and  anon,  like  the  voice  of  the  sea  roused  by 
storm. 

The  “New  York  Evening  Post”  of  June  4 
devoted  more  than  two  columns  to  the  Festival. 
Extracts  follow :  — 

Usually  one  of  the  larger  Bach  works,  like  the  “  St. 
Matthew”  or  “St.  John  Passion”  or  the  “Christmas 
Oratorio,”  precedes  the  “Mass”;  but  this  year  Dr. 
Wolle  chose  for  the  first  day  of  the  Festival  a  group 
of  those  marvelous  church  cantatas,  which,  in  the  opin¬ 
ion  of  many  Bach  connoisseurs,  are  even  more  inspired 
and  stupendous  than  those  larger  works. 

It  is  well  known  that  there  were  originally  about 
three  hundred  of  these  cantatas,  and  that  some  two 
hundred  have  been  preserved  and  printed.  The  folio 
volumes  of  the  Bach  Society  in  which  these  are  gath¬ 
ered  constitute  the  biggest  musical  treasure  house  in 
existence.  During  Bach’s  twenty-seven  years  of  activity 


!38 


THE  TWELFTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 


as  cantor  at  Leipzig  he  composed  these  works  at  the 
average  rate  of  ten  a  year  —  yet  no  one  thanked  him 
or  had  the  faintest  idea  of  his  immortal  achievement  — 
indeed,  he  was  actually  and  frequently  censured  for 
neglect  of  duty,  because,  forsooth,  he  did  not  give 
more  of  his  time  to  his  choir. 

If  Bach  could  have  attended  one  of  Dr.  Wolle’s 
Bethlehem  performances,  he  would  have  been  in  the 
seventh  heaven  of  delight.  He  himself  never  heard 
any  of  his  works  done  one  quarter  as  well.  His  forces 
were  shamefully  and  ludicrously  inadequate.  As  late 
as  1730  he  was  obliged  to  complain  that  whereas  he 
needed  thirty-six  singers  and  twenty  players  for  the 
rendering  of  his  cantatas  and  other  church  works,  he 
had  only  seventeen  good  singers  and  eight  players ! 
Contrast  this  with  Dr.  Wolle’s  two  hundred  admirably 
trained  singers,  assisted  by  the  famous  Philadelphia 
Orchestra,  and  you  will  realize  the  good  fortune  of 
those  who  are  able  to  attend  a  Bethlehem  Bach  Festi¬ 
val.  .  .  . 

The  first  cantata  sung  on  Friday  afternoon,  No.  45, 
is  fairly  well  known.  It  opens  with  a  lengthy  chorus 
built  almost  entirely  on  a  short  motive  —  only  five 
notes.  “  Es  ist  dir  Gesagt”  —  here  the  English  trans¬ 
lation  is  an  improvement,  for  “it  is  said  unto  thee” 
is  hardly  an  important  enough  phrase  for  such  inces¬ 
sant  repetition  —  it  reminds  one  of  the  old  master- 
singer’s  songs,  which  always  began,  “In  the  fifteenth 
chapter  of  Matthew ’t  is  recorded,  etc.”  But  Bach  was 
not  always  thinking  of  textual  details  —  he  often  made 
the  mood  of  the  whole  the  governing  factor,  although 


139 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


the  other  procedure  was  not  at  all  uncommon,  as  we 
shall  see  later. 

The  motet  was  sung  next,  unaccompanied,  and  was 
indeed  a  tour  de  force  for  Dr.  Wolle’s  chorus.  The 
shading  was  exquisite. 

The  “Evening  Post”  review,  after  a  careful 
analysis  of  each  of  the  cantatas  sung,  closed:  — 

The  performance  of  these  works  was  in  thorough 
accord  with  the  traditions  established  by  Dr.  Wolle. 
The  choruses  were  well  sung,  the  accompaniment  well 
played  (by  men  from  the  Philadelphia  Orchestra),  and 
T.  Edgar  Shields  was  a  splendid  support  at  the  organ. 
Nicholas  Douty,  that  sterling  musician,  who  happens 
to  be  a  tenor,  was  not  in  the  best  voice,  but  his  sure¬ 
footed  musicianship  and  artistic  interpretation  never 
failed.  Miss  Marie  Stoddart  sang  the  soprano  solos, 
Miss  Marie  Morrissey  the  alto,  and  Charles  T.  Titt- 
man  the  bass  —  all  doing  well —  Mr.  Tittman  showing 
a  marked  improvement  over  his  last  year’s  perform¬ 
ance.  They  had  difficult  tasks  to  perform,  and  should 
not  be  caviled  at  because  the  chorus  was  the  real 
“star”  —  if  there  could  be  said  to  be  a  star  at  a  per¬ 
formance  of  Bach  cantatas. 

Mr.  Pitts  Sanborn  in  a  column  account  in  the 
“New  York  Globe,”  began  by  saying  that  the 
Bethlehem  Bach  Festivals  “are  coming  to  be 
recognized  as  a  national  institution.”  Certain 
paragraphs  follow:  — 


140 


THE  TWELFTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 


I  have  never  been  present  at  one  of  the  festivals  in 
the  old  Moravian  Church.  There  the  atmosphere  must 
have  approached  as  nearly  as  anything  in  the  New 
World  can  that  of  Bach’s  own  Thomaskirche  in  Leip¬ 
zig.  The  brighter,  airy  church  on  the  university  cam¬ 
pus  offers  in  compensation  for  its  relative  newness  su¬ 
perior  comfort  and  greater  seating  accommodation.  And 
itis  a  church,  not  a  concert  room.  Remove  the  churchly 
surroundings  from  a  performance  of  the  religious  music 
of  Bach  and  you  remove  something  which  is  essential 
to  their  full  effect  on  the  listener.  Then,  at  Bethlehem 
the  Moravian  trombone  choir,  an  institution  of  that  sect, 
playing  chorales  from  the  spire  of  the  university  church 
as  the  people  gather  for  each  concert,  prepares  the  mood 
as  nothing  else  could  for  Bach. 

It  would  be  useless  to  attempt  to  go  through  the  Fri¬ 
day  programme  and  pick  out  for  praise  the  manifold 
beauties  of  the  works  offered.  One  might  dwell  on  the 
brilliant  opening  of  “  Watch  ye,  Pray  ye,”  on  the  almost 
startling  modernity  of  the  recitative  and  air  for  bass 
which  close  the  same  work  ;  on  the  profound  and  cour¬ 
ageous  joyousness  that  breathes  a  particular  charm 
throughout  “  When  will  God  recall  my  spirit  ?  ”  But  to 
do  so  would  be  to  pass  by  other  beauties  no  less  worthy 
of  remark. 

The  choir  sang  with  the  enthusiasm  Dr.  Wolle  never 
fails  to  inspire  in  his  singers  and  with  the  constant 
vitality  of  expression  which  is  one  of  its  major  merits. 
Members  of  the  Philadelphia  Orchestra  and  T.  Edgar 
Shields,  organist,  provided  an  accompaniment  which 
often  deserved  the  heartiest  praise.  Nicholas  Douty, 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


the  veteran,  and,  if  you  like,  Gibraltar  Rock  of  these 
Festivals,  brought  his  long  schooling  in  the  letter  and 
the  spirit  of  Bach  to  the  tenor  solos.  Charles  T.  Titt- 
man  in  the  bass  solos  disclosed  a  voice  of  beautiful 
quality,  exceptionally  well  trained,  and  sang  for  the 
most  part  with  security  and  admirable  expression  and 
finish.  Miss  Marie  Stoddart  did  creditably  in  the  so¬ 
prano  solos.  .  .  . 

When  one  has  taken  account  of  every  flaw  in  the  exe¬ 
cution,  the  fact  remains  that  the  impression  left  by  the 
festival  as  a  whole  is  mighty  and  uplifting.  Dr.  Wolle 
and  his  Choir,  and  the  generous  men  and  women  who 
stand  behind  them,  are  engaged  in  a  work  that  has  no 
peer  in  kind  and  few  in  importance  among  the  many 
admirable  artistic  enterprises  in  our  broad  land. 

Mr.  Peyser,  in  “Musical  America,”  called  at¬ 
tention,  in  discussing  the  first  day’s  programme  to 
the  fact  that,  excepting  the  motet,  — 

which  the  Musical  Art  Society  gave  at  its  Christmas 
concert  in  New  York  last  winter,  none  of  these  works 
appears  to  have  hitherto  received  American  perform¬ 
ances.  That  this  is  the  case  must  be  ascribed  solely  to 
the  inability  of  American  choral  organizations  to  nego¬ 
tiate  Bach  successfully  or  to  the  unwillingness  of  con¬ 
ductors  to  face  the  vast  difficulties  they  impose.  .  .  . 

Pages  in  the  cantatas  simply  held  the  listener  spell¬ 
bound  in  the  magnificence ,  the  splendor,  the  sturdy 
vigor  and  plangency  of  their  exposition.  Others  cut  to 
the  quick  by  the  keenness  of  their  poignant  accent. 
And  then  in  the  Mass  the  celestial  radiance  of  the 


142 


THE  TWELFTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 


“  Sanctus,”  the  awful  catastrophic  “  Crucifixus,”  the 
heaven-soaring  “Et  resurrexit  ” —  what  cold  critical 
terms  shall  be  invoked  to  describe  the  effect  of  these? 

There  was  this  reference  by  Mr.  Lucas  in  the 
“Musical  Courier”  to  the  popular  response  to  the 
appeal  of  Bach  as  sung  at  Lehigh:  — 

The  crowds  that  flock  to  Bethlehem  every  year  are 
the  eloquent  comments  on  the  attractions  of  the  Bach 
Festival.  Paeans  of  praise  would  be  worthless  if  the 
public  did  not  attend  the  concerts.  The  crowds  at  the 
twelfth  Bach  Festival  were  greater  than  ever.  Are  words 
worth  anything  in  the  presence  of  this  fact  ? 

“  Bach  in  War-Time”  was  the  title  of  an  article 
by  the  Reverend  W.  E.  Brooks  in  the  “  Christian 
Work,”  from  which  these  extracts  are  taken:  — 

The  most  amazing  contrast  of  all  was  that  while  the 
world  was  on  fire,  in  the  very  city  whose  name  is  linked 
more  closely  to  the  war  than  that  of  any  other  in  the 
land,  we  should  have  gathered  to  listen  to  the  great 
Christian  facts,  set  to  the  lofty  music  that  only  they 
could  inspire,  by  the  “master  of  masters,”  a  German 
of  another  and  a  better  German  day.  .  .  . 

The  Friday  programmes  included  seven  cantatas  and 
a  motet,  all  sung  for  the  first  time  in  America.  One 
wondered  as  one  listened  to  them  if  Dr.  Wolle  had  not 
thought  of  the  war  in  his  choice  of  them,  and  sought  to 
cheer  our  hearts  with  the  great  Christian  cheer  with 
which  Bach’s  faith  filled  his  music.  .  .  . 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


The  impotence  of  words  is  realized  when  a  man  tries 
to  describe  the  climacteric  effect  of  one  of  these  great 
chorales  coming  at  the  end  of  a  cantata,  the  three  hun¬ 
dred  voices  weaving  the  harmony  of  the  parts,  the 
strings  and  the  brasses  of  the  great  orchestra  mingling 
with  the  organ’s  notes,  all  in  a  vast  and  compelling 
volume  of  sound,  so  sweet,  so  ecstatic,  so  exultant,  that 
one  is  sure  that  until  he  hears  “the  harpers  harping 
with  their  harps”  for  him  it  will  never  be  surpassed.  It 
is  Christian  ecstasy  at  its  best.  .  .  . 

Bethlehem  has  been  called  the  American  Bayreuth. 
It  is  most  exceedingly  not  that.  Bayreuth  is  the  shrine 
of  Nietzsche  set  to  music,  of  sword  motifs  and  fire 
motifs,  of  valkyries  who  ride  terribly,  and  Rhine  maid¬ 
ens  who  guard  the  treasure  that  gives  world  power  to 
him  who  holds  it.  When  we  are  done  with  swords  and 
fire  now  we  want  no  more  of  them,  and  we  pray  for  the 
coming  of  the  day  when  the  Rhine-gold  may  be  sunk  in 
the  depths  of  the  sea,  where  none  may  ever  dream  of 
holding  it  or  its  power  again.  But  Bethlehem  stands  for 
other  things.  It  is  the  shrine  of  Christianity  set  to  music, 
of  a  God  at  once  all  powerful  and  all  merciful,  of  His 
Son  crucified  once,  but  risen  forever,  and  to  be  domi¬ 
nant  in  life.  We  want  no  Bayreuth  in  America  any  more 
than  we  want  the  things  for  which  Bayreuth  stands.  But 
wedo  want  the  things  ofwhich  Bachsang.  And  those  of 
us  who  heard  that  great  choir  sing  under  Dr.  Wolle’s 
dynamic  leadership  believe  that  Bethlehem  will  in¬ 
creasingly  become  a  shrine  for  America,  not  only  musi¬ 
cally,  though  that  is  much,  but  for  the  higher  things 
whose  hand-maidens  the  great  arts  have  ever  been. 


144 


THE  TWELFTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 


Mr.  George  B.  Nevin,  the  composer,  writing 
in  “  Music  News,”  Chicago,  was  moved  to  ask  :  — 

While  the  thoughts  of  the  world  are  centered  on  the 
mighty  struggle  which  now  engages  about  a  score  of 
nations,  the  awful  carnage,  the  suffering  beyond  de¬ 
scription,  the  destruction  of  the  ancient  and  the  beau¬ 
tiful,  the  waste  and  desolation,  the  years  and  years  of 
future  effort  to  rebuild  what  has  so  ruthlessly  been 
torn  down ;  can  it  be  that  we  are  privileged  to  drop 
down  in  quaint  Bethlehem  where  for  a  time  the  world 
seemed  to  be  in  harmony  with  the  Infinite,  or  was  it  a 
dream  ? 

In  the  “Holy  Cross  Magazine”  for  August, 
1917,  Father  Harvey  Officer,  O.H.C.,  had  an 
article  on  the  “Bach  Festival  at  Bethlehem,” 
from  which  brief  extracts  are  taken  :  — 

Year  by  year  an  increasing  number  of  music-lovers 
journeys  to  Bethlehem  to  worship  at  the  shrine  of 
Bach.  The  concerts  are  given  in  the  Packer  Memorial 
Chapel  of  Lehigh  University.  The  building  stands  in 
the  midst  of  a  beautiful  campus,  surrounded  by  green 
lawns  which  slope  rather  steeply  to  a  considerable  height 
beyond.  Half  an  hour  before  each  concert  the  visitor 
finds  the  audience  assembled  in  groups  under  the  trees, 
waiting  to  hear  the  famous  Moravian  Trombone  Choir. 
It  announces  each  session  of  the  Festival  by  playing 
chorales  from  the  topmost  stage  of  the  Chapel  tower, 
at  the  same  time  declaring  unmistakably  the  religious 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


tone  of  the  entire  occasion.  For  here  there  is  no  chance 
for  personal  display,  no  applause  given  to  favorite  sing¬ 
ers,  nothing  of  the  atmosphere  of  opera-house  or  con¬ 
cert-hall  where  music  is  so  often  degraded  and  belittled. 
We  take  our  seats  at  last  knowing  that  we  are  in  a 
veritable  temple  of  art,  wherein  we  shall  catch  a  vision 
of  eternal  truth  :  — 

“No  face,  only  the  sight 
Of  a  sweepy  garment,  vast  and  white. 

With  a  hem  that  I  could  recognize.”  .  .  . 

There  is  a  certain  number  of  musically  educated  peo¬ 
ple,  however,  who  in  their  early  training  have  experi¬ 
enced  a  distant  acquaintance  with  Bach  and  have  been 
thereby  repelled.  Perhaps  it  was  an  enthusiastic  music- 
teacher  who  sat  them  down,  shortly  after  five-finger 
exercises  and  scales  had  been  attacked,  to  a  thing 
called  a  “fugue”  out  of  this  same  J.  S.  Bach’s  “Well- 
Tempered  Clavichord.”  The  unpleasant  memory  still 
lingers.  .  .  . 

Therefore,  if  my  words  about  the  fugue  should  be 
read  by  such  an  one,  he  will  probably  remain  uncon¬ 
vinced  of  the  existence  of  beauty  in  Bach.  He  is  per¬ 
fectly  sure  that  the  mathematical  exercise,  called  a  fugue, 
cannot  be  beautiful.  My  answer  to  such  a  view  would 
be,  of  course:  —  go  to  Bethlehem  next  June,  and  hear 
the  Bach  Choir.  .  .  . 

It  is  this  devotion  to  the  cause  of  musical  art,  this 
steady  pursuit  of  the  highest  ideal,  which  has  made  the 
Bach  Choir  at  Bethlehem  possible.  No  money  can  buy 
spiritual  possessions  such  as  these,  nor  can  our  great 
cities  offer  anything  in  exchange  for  them. 

146 


THE  TWELFTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 


It  is  doubtful  whether  any  writer  has  expressed 
as  cogently  as  Mr.  Waldo  the  spirit  of  the  Beth¬ 
lehem  Bach  singers.  His  short  “  Philadelphia 
Public  Ledger”  article  of  June  5,  1917,  is  se¬ 
lected  for  the  closing  quotation  of  this  chapter 
representing  many  men  of  many  minds :  — 

It  was  a  remarkable  performance  of  nine  works  of 
Bach  —  eight  of  them  probably  for  the  first  time  in 
America  —  t'hat  took  pilgrims  of  music  from  twenty- 
seven  States  to  the  green  hills  of  Bethlehem  on  Friday 
and  Saturday  of  last  week.  So  beautiful  and  so  inspir¬ 
ing  was  this  memorable  production  that  any  one  who 
was  present  is  inclined  to  seek  for  reasons  deeper  than 
any  superficial  circumstance  for  the  thrilling  reaction 
of  the  music  upon  an  intent  and  sophisticated  audience. 
The  result  far  transcended  anything  that  singers  can 
acm^ve  whose  purpose  is  merely  fashionable  and  deco¬ 
rative.  The  Bach  Choir  under  Dr.  Wolle  while  it  sings 
is  a  group  of  hypnotized  fanatics  who  are  willing  to 
sing  their  lives  away,  their  voices  raw,  their  very  souls 
out  of  their  bodies  for  the  sake  of  the  music  that  they 
love  better  than  meal-times  or  sleep  or  social  engage¬ 
ments.  In  a  few  hours  one  heard  the  fruition  of  nearly 
a  year  of  travail  on  the  part  of  all  concerned.  When 
the  work  of  preparation  is  fully  under  way  the  weekly 
rehearsals  are  superseded  by  drill  twice  or  thrice  or  at 
last  six  times  a  week,  till  each  singer  knows  the  score 
by  heart,  and  the  music  pursues  every  waking  hour  of 
employment  and  follows  the  night-time  into  dreamland. 

J4  7 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


As  Mr.  Walters  has  said,  a  Bach  Festival  means  the 
labor  of  many  devoted  to  a  common  ideal  end.  It 
means  Charles  M.  Schwab  ready  to  tip  the  horn  of 
plenty  in  the  direction  of  the  guarantee  fund.  It  means 
President  Drinker,  of  Lehigh  University,  with  the  out- 
hung  latch-string  of  every  form  of  solicitous  hospital¬ 
ity,  especially  the  provision  of  the  temple  of  the  suc¬ 
cessive  services,  unprofaned  by  that  incessant  applause 
of  personal  tribute,  acknowledged  by  bows,  which  is 
thought  necessary  even  in  the  performance  of  sacred 
music  in  other  places.  Presumably  such  acknowledg¬ 
ment  is  in  behalf  of  the  Almighty,  who  in  such  unin¬ 
spired  work  is  misrepresented. 

The  more  important  part  of  the  work  of  the  Bach 
Choir  is  off  the  scene.  It  is  the  rehearsal  that  enters 
the  lives  of  several  hundred  homes,  with  blessed  and 
far-reaching  influence.  “The  music  in  my  heart  I  bore 
long  after  it  was  heard  no  more,”  is  the  thought, 
whether  expressed  or  not,  of  those  to  whom  Bach  is 
only  the  other  name  for  a  kind  of  passionate  religion 
with  its  own  disciples  and  ministrants  set  apart  for  the 
office  of  spreading  a  gospel  to  a  world  that  knows  not 
the  spirit  nor  the  letter  of  the  greatest  music  born  of 
the  mind  of  man.  To  Dr.  Wolle  and  those  with  him 
a  debt  is  owed  that  is  greater  than  the  mere  patronage 
at  two  days  of  performance  can  discharge ;  for  to  sing 
Bach  is  to  live  Bach,  and  there  shines  over  Bethlehem 
with  its  grimy  murky  mills,  whence  so  many  of  its 
singers  come,  the  lustrous  and  resplendent  star  of  an 
idealism  not  to  be  quenched  without  a  grievous  loss  to 
all  America. 


148 


THE  THIRTEENTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 


THE  THIRTEENTH  BACH  FESTIVAL 

The  programme  of  the  thirteenth  Bethlehem 
Bach  Festival,  to  be  held  at  Lehigh  University 
on  May  24  and  25,  1918,  follows:  — 

Friday ,  May  24,  4  p.m.  Cantata,  “  My  spirit  was  in 
heaviness.”  Chorale,  “World,  farewell.”  Actus  Tragi- 
cus,  “  God’s  time  is  the  best.”  Double  chorus,  “  Now 
shall  the  grace.”  Chorale,  “O  joy,  to  know  that  Thou.” 

Friday ,  May  24,  8  p.m.  Tombeau,  “  Ode  of  Mourn¬ 
ing,”  “  Magnificat,”  Chorale,  “  Glory  now  to  Thee  be 
given.” 

Saturday ,  May  25,  2  p.m.  “Mass  in  B  Minor,” 
“  Kyrie  ”  and  “  Gloria.” 

Saturday ,  May  25,  5  p.m.  “  Mass  in  B  Minor,” 
“  Credo  ”  to  the  end. 

The  soloists:  Friday ,  Mrs.  Mildred  Faas,  soprano; 
Miss  Emma  Roberts,  alto  ;  Mr.  Nicholas  Douty,  tenor; 
Mr.  Charles  Trowbridge  Tittmann,  bass.  Saturday , 
Mrs.  Mae  Hotz,  soprano  ;  Mrs.  Merle  Alcock,  alto; 
Mr.  Douty,  tenor;  Mr.  Tittmann,  bass. 


V 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR  IN  NEW  YORK 
PON  invitation  of  the  Philharmonic  Society 


of  New  York,  the  Bethlehem  Bach  Choir 
sang  in  Carnegie  Hall,  New  York  City,  on  Janu¬ 
ary  20,  1917,  and  January  26,  1918,  in  con¬ 
nection  with  Philharmonic  concerts. 

The  1917  appearance  was  to  take  part  in 
the  celebration  of  the  seventy-fifth  anniversary 
of  the  founding  of  the  Philharmonic  Society. 
The  offering  for  this  evening  of  the  Society’s 
Festival  Week  was  a  Bach-Beethoven  pro¬ 
gramme.  Because  of  the  success  of  the  sing¬ 
ing  the  Bethlehem  Chorus  was  invited  to  join 
the  Orchestra  in  a  Bach-Wagner  concert  a 
year  later.  Both  appearances  were  made  possible 
by  the  generosity  of  Mr.  Charles  M.  Schwab, 
who  paid  the  expenses  of  the  Choir’s  journey 
to  New  York. 

The  decision  to  sing  in  New  York  in  the  first 
instance  and  then  to  sing  again  was  not  made 


150 


IN  NEW  YORK 


lightly.  No  small  risk  was  involved.  The  Beth¬ 
lehem  singers  are  not  professionals.  They  come 
from  quiet  walks  of  life;  they  range  from  sixteen 
years  to  eighty.  For  them  to  stand  on  the  stage 
of  a  strange  auditorium  before  a  critical  audience 
in  the  music  center  of  the  country  is  a  different 
matter  from  occupying  familiar  chairs  on  the 
chancel  platform  in  Packer  Memorial  Church, 
their  Festival  home. 

The  Choir,  the  Conductor,  and  the  Executive 
Committee,  be  it  said,  did  not  and  do  not  share 
the  feeling  that  the  Bach  Festivals  are  an  Ober- 
ammergau  Passion  Play  which  to  present  else¬ 
where  would  savor  of  profanation.  Their  attitude, 
more  fully  expressed  in  the  final  chapter  of  this 
book,  is  that  Bach’s  choral  music  ought  to  be 
spread  and  made  popular.  It  was  with  the  mis¬ 
sionary  zeal,  therefore,  that  would  bear  witness 
also  at  Rome  that  the  Bethlehem  Choir  has  sung 
Bach  in  New  York. 

While  these  singers  have  not  had  professional 
experience,  they  are  cultivated  and  capable  ama¬ 
teurs  who  rise  to  exacting  occasions.  They  sang 
in  New  York  in  sincere  and  humble  spirit,  and 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


they  did  well.  Incidentally  their  success  in  a  met¬ 
ropolitan  concert  hall  furnished  evidence  that 
the  choral  work  of  Bach  does  not  depend  for 
effectiveness  upon  picturesque  externals  such  as 
the  Bethlehem  background  supplies  for  the  Fes¬ 
tivals. 

The  measure  of  the  Choir’s  success  is  shown 
in  the  reviews  of  its  programmes. 

The  “New  York  Herald”  report  of  January 
21,  1917,  written  by  Miss  Clara  T.  Nichols,  was 
as  follows :  — 

Although  last  night’s  popular  concert  was  the  fourth 
given  by  the  Philharmonic  Society  in  its  jubilee  week, 
Carnegie  Hall  was  entirely  sold  out  and  standing  room 
was  at  a  premium. 

Josef  Stransky’s  choice  of  programme  was  fortu¬ 
nate.  From  an  historical  viewpoint  the  performance  of 
Beethoven’s  Fifth  Symphony  was  especially  significant 
in  the  jubilee  celebration,  for  it  was  given  as  the  open¬ 
ing  number  of  the  first  concert  of  the  Society  Decem¬ 
ber  7,  1842. 

The  feature  of  the  programme  was  the  singing  of  the 
Bach  Choir,  of  Bethlehem,  Pennsylvania.  Through 
the  courtesy  of  Charles  M.  Schwab  its  coming  to  New 
York  was  made  possible.  Mr.  Schwab  is  the  Choir’s 
chief  patron.  In  the  chorale,  “  How  brightly  shines  the 
morning  star,”  the  singing  was  little  short  of  marvelous. 
Dr.  Fred  Wolle,  its  Director,  brought  out  exquisite 

152 


IN  NEW  YORK 


tone  effects  and  of  great  sheerness  and  delicacy.  The 
“  Gloria,”  and  the  three  movements  from  the  “  Credo  ” 
of  the  “B  Minor  Mass”  were  impressively  sung. 
Dr.  Wolle  achieved  marked  success  in  bringing  out 
the  tenderness  of  the  “  Et  incarnatus”  and  the  poign¬ 
ancy  of  the  “Crucifixus.”  The  appeal  was  greater  be¬ 
cause  of  his  sincerity  and  simplicity.  The  Choir  sang 
the  “  Resurrexit  ”  with  intensity  and  fervor.  The  great 
volume  of  tone  was  marvelously  controlled. 

Dr.  Wolle  conducted  “  World,  farewell”  without 
score.  He  used  no  baton.  The  tone  of  the  Choir  was 
exceptional  in  its  warmth  and  beauty.  Nothing  finer 
than  the  singing  of  these  three  hundred  and  twenty-five 
fresh  young  voices  has  been  heard  this  season.  At  the 
conclusion  the  audience  recalled  the  Director  many 
times  with  cries  of  “  Bravo  !  ” 

Mr.  Henry  T.  Finck’s  account,  in  the  ‘‘Even¬ 
ing  Post,”  of  January  22,  1917,  included  these 
paragraphs :  — 

To  Mr.  Schwab’s  generosity  those  who  enjoy  the 
best  in  music  owe  one  of  the  most  enjoyable  hours  of 
the  season.  The  Bach  Choir,  under  its  devoted  con¬ 
ductor,  Dr.  J.  Fred  Wolle,  sang  four  chorales  as  set 
by  the  great  Leipzig  cantor,  and,  with  the  Philharmonic 
Orchestra,  four  numbers  from  the  great  “  Mass  in  B 
Minor”:  “Gloria  in  excelsis,”  “  Et  incarnatus  est,” 
“  Crucifixus,”  and  “  Et  resurrexit.”  The  first  of  the 
chorales,  “  World,  farewell,”  was  sung  in  that  exquisite 
pianissimo,  so  difficult  to  get  even  from  a  professional 

*53 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


choir,  which  is  one  of  the  specialties  of  Dr.  Wolle.  The 
tone  quality  was  of  the  loveliest,  rivaling  in  beauty  that 
of  the  Orchestra.  One  may  differ  with  Dr.  Wolle  as 
to  details  of  shading  and  interpretation,  but  one  cannot 
fail  to  be  impressed,  nay,  thrilled  by  the  verve  of  his 
Choir’s  singing  and  the  expressive  climaxes  attained. 
The  Bethlehem  singers  are  amateurs  all,  men  and 
women  of  all  walks  of  life  and  degrees  of  prosperity ; 
but  they  sing  for  the  love  of  music,  alone,  and  thus 
they  speak  to  the  heart  in  a  way  professionals  seldom 
do.  To  hear  them  at  their  very  best  one  has  to  go  to 
the  Bethlehem  church  where  their  annual  performances 
are  given.  At  the  same  time,  it  is  safe  to  say  that,  while 
Saturday’s  performance  was  not  flawless,  it  was  by  far 
the  best  Bach  singing  ever  heard  in  New  York. 

The  ‘‘Globe”  comment,  January  22,  1917, 
by  Mr.  Pitts  Sanborn,  read  thus :  — 

An  important  feature  of  the  Philharmonic  Festival 
programmes  of  the  last  few  days  was  the  pilgrimage  to 
New  York  for  the  purpose  of  participation  in  the  Sat¬ 
urday  night  concert  by  the  Bach  Choir  of  Bethlehem, 
Pennsylvania.  This  famous  organization  and  its  con¬ 
ductor,  Dr.  J.  Fred  Wolle,  gave  to  the  programme 
four  chorales  and  a  selection  from  the  “  B  Minor 
Mass.”  The  performance  was  open  to  reproach  in  sev¬ 
eral  ways,  which  need  not  be  dwelt  on  in  detail,  but  it 
had  a  spirit  and  a  dramatic  force  that  aroused  the  au¬ 
dience  to  stormy  applause. 

The  review  in  the  “World”  of  January  21, 

T54 


IN  NEW  YORK 

1917,  praised  the  singing,  concluding  as  fol¬ 
lows  :  — 

Conducting  Bach  is  evidently  a  labor  of  love  with 
Dr.  Wolle.  He  uses  no  baton,  but  has  most  expres¬ 
sive  hands  and  gestures.  The  Chorus  is  absolutely  un¬ 
der  his  control,  and,  in  conducting  the  unaccompanied 
chorales,  he  hardly  moves  his  arms,  standing  perfectly 
rigid  and  conveying  his  wishes  only  by  slight  move¬ 
ment  of  the  fingers. 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  Chorus  is  made 
up  almost  entirely  of  untrained  voices,  the  quality  of 
tone  produced  was  excellent,  the  male  chorus  being 
especially  fine.  There  was  extremely  hearty  applause 
after  each  number,  and  after  the  overwhelming  climax 
of  the  final  chorale  Dr.  Wolle  and  his  choristers  were 
accorded  an  ovation. 

The  “  Sun’s”  report  said  that  “  the  music  was 
all  of  very  deep  interest  and  it  was  superbly 
sung.” 

The  “  American  ”  declared,  “  It  is  safe  to  state 
that  such  stalwart  and  colorful  singing  has  rarely 
been  equaled  and  never  surpassed  in  this  city.” 

In  the  “  Times”  review  these  paragraphs  ap- 

The  Chorus  is  a  large  body  of  zealous  and  eager 
singers  who  have  been  made  thoroughly  familiar  with 
Bach’s  music,  and  sing  it  with  fluency,  solidity,  and 

155 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


confidence.  They  have  been  trained  to  a  supple  and 
accurate  obedience  to  the  conductor’s  beat,  and  there 
were  many  plastic  and  finely  moulded  effects  of  phras¬ 
ing  and  dynamics  in  their  performance.  But  the  sing¬ 
ers’  zeal  and  eagerness  were  not  equaled  last  night  by 
the  quality  of  their  voices,  which  was  not  of  the  finest, 
the  tenors  in  particular  showing  a  lack  of  vibrancy. 
There  were  also  some  passages  in  which  the  intona¬ 
tion  was  not  perfect,  and  some  in  which  the  attack  was 
not  so  positive  as  might  have  been  expected.  .  .  . 

Some  matters  in  which  doubts  may  have  arisen  in 
the  minds  of  many  listeners  were  referable  to  the  con¬ 
ducting  rather  than  to  the  capacities  of  the  singers 
themselves. 

Although  Dr.  Wolle  directs  his  attention  exclusively 
to  the  music  of  Bach,  he  has  some  singular  notions  as 
to  the  performance  of  it.  One  of  them  is  an  extreme 
sentimentalizing  of  the  chorales  by  singing  them  in  the 
softest  pianissimo,  with  the  occasional  erratic  and  inex¬ 
plicable  lifting  into  prominence  of  one  voice  or  another; 
a  pianissimo  that  went  so  far  at  the  end  of  the  first 
chorale  as  to  be  reduced  to  a  wordless  humming. 

Another  of  Dr.  Wolle’s  mannerisms  is  to  take  every 
cadence  with  a  marked  and  sluggish  ritardando.  Such 
a  modification  of  tempo  is  in  place  when  it  has  a  special 
significance;  but  its  incessant  repetition  as  a  part  of 
the  cadence  formula  becomes  singularly  monotonous 
and  subversive  of  the  spirit  of  the  music.  These  things 
were  blemishes  on  the  performance.  Yet  the  accuracy 
with  which  the  Chorus  followed  Dr.  Wolle’s  require¬ 
ments  of  them  could  only  be  imputed  to  it  for  merit. 


IN  NEW  YORK 


There  was  great  enthusiasm  over  the  singing  of  the 
Chorus,  which  was  largely  deserved,  and  which  might 
properly  have  been  shared  by  the  Orchestra,  which 
gave  an  excellent  performance  of  the  difficult  instru¬ 
mental  portion  of  the  mass.  Dr.  Wolle  was  recalled 
repeatedly  and  made  to  bow  his  acknowledgments. 

The  “  Tribune”  criticism  contained  strong 
disapproval  of  the  conductor’s  interpretation:  — 

The  technical  efficiency  of  the  Choir  invited  admir¬ 
ation  at  least,  though  the  reading  of  the  conductor, 
Dr.  Wolle,  challenged  anything  but  admiration. 

The  “Musical  Courier”  said:  — 

The  work  done  was  remarkable  in  many  respects. 
The  volume  of  tone  in  a  fortissimo  was  magnificent 
and  of  inspiring  solidity;  on  the  other  hand  the  most 
delicate  effects  were  achieved. 

“  Musical  America’s  ”  report  of  the  Philhar¬ 
monic  anniversary  celebration  said:  — 

The  audience  Saturday  night  was  treated  to  choral 
singing  the  like  of  which  has  not  been  heard  in  this 
city  since  the  last  visit  of  Dr.  Vogt’s  Mendelssohn 
Choir  from  Toronto.  Would  that  we  were  perma¬ 
nently  favored  with  an  organization  of  such  qualities. 

The  “Music  News”  of  Chicago  had  an  ar¬ 
ticle  by  the  present  writer,  of  which  the  open¬ 
ing  and  closing  paragraphs  are  here  quoted :  — 

157 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


If,  like  Peter  Grimm  in  the  play,  Johann  Sebastian 
Bach  had  strolled  into  Carnegie  Hall,  New  York,  last 
Saturday  evening  he  would  have  halted  in  amazement 
at  the  sight  and  sound  of  three  hundred  singers  and 
an  orchestra  of  sixty  rendering  his  beloved  “  Mass  in 
B  Minor.” 

The  cantor  of  St.  Thomas’s  wrote  his  oratorios  and 
cantatas,  upon  which  time  has  set  the  seal  of  supreme 
art,  to  supply  the  Sunday  and  festival  service  of  the 
four  churches  in  Leipzig  whose  choirs  he  trained.  All 
four  choirs  hardly  totaled  more  than  fifty-five  singers, 
and  the  orchestral  accompaniment  was  never  above 
twenty  pieces.  And  these  singers  and  players  were  in¬ 
competent  and  indifferent. 

Now,  after  nearly  two  centuries,  in  the  metropolis 
of  a  new  world,  the  shade  of  Bach  could  have  heard 
his  music  sung  by  a  choir  equipped  to  do  it  justice  by 
years  of  study  and  drill  and  devotion  under  a  con¬ 
ductor  who  has  made  Bach  his  lifework.  In  its  sin¬ 
cerity  of  purpose,  in  its  beauty  and  its  artistry,  the 
Carnegie  Hall  rendition  would  have  thrilled  the  soul 
of  the  creator  of  these  heavenly  harmonies. 

The  three  hundred  singers  who  gave  it  were  the 
Bethlehem  Bach  Choir,  recently  termed  by  Henry  T. 
Finck  “the  best  choir  in  the  United  States.”  The 
orchestra  was  the  Philharmonic  Society  of  New  York. 
Their  joint  Bach-Beethoven  programme  was  the  cli¬ 
max  of  the  Philharmonic  Society’s  celebration  of  the 
seventy-fifth  anniversary  of  its  founding.  .  .  . 

When  the  last  tremendous  notes  of  the  finale  chorale, 
“  Glory  now  to  Thee  be  given,”  had  been  drawn  from 


THE  1918  NEW  YORK  CONCERT 

singers  and  orchestra  by  the  batonless  hands  of  Dr. 
Wolle,  the  applause  from  the  audience  was  even  more 
tremendous.  Eight  times  the  hearers  compelled  the 
conductor  to  return  to  acknowledge  their  plaudits.  Dr. 
Wolle  waved  aside  the  personal  aspect  of  the  tribute 
with  a  sweep  of  his  arm  that  credited  the  entire  success 
to  singers  and  players. 

This  applause,  it  may  be  said,  was  something  new 
to  the  Bach  Choir,  whose  spring  festivals  in  Packer 
Memorial  Church,  Lehigh  University,  are  virtually 
religious  ceremonies.  Finer  even  than  the  artistic  tri¬ 
umph  of  the  Bach  singers  was  their  achievement  in 
preserving  in  their  Carnegie  Hall  rendition  the  sin¬ 
cerity,  the  religious  atmosphere  of  their  Bethlehem 
festivals. 


THE  1918  NEW  YORK  CONCERT 

Musical  and  religious  aspects  having  been  em¬ 
phasized  in  all  other  instances,  it  is  perhaps  not 
out  of  place,  in  reporting  the  1918  New  York 
appearance  of  the  Choir,  to  tell  first  about  the 
human  interest  side  of  the  trip.  Its  scope  was  sum¬ 
marized  in  an  item  in  the  “New  Yor-k  Evening 
Post  ”  commenting  upon  the  itinerary,  mimeo¬ 
graphed  copies  of  which  were  distributed  in  ad¬ 
vance  to  each  of  the  singers  and  to  the  players  of 
the  Lehigh  Valley  orchestra,  who  made  the  trip 

1  59 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 

also  as  guests  of  Mr.  Schwab.  This  item  read  in 
part :  — 

The  train  left  Bethlehem  on  Saturday  morning  at 
7.45,  and  arrived  on  the  New  York  side  of  the  river  at 
10.43.  Thence  special  Fifth  Avenue  auto  buses  were 
taken  to  the  Great  Northern  Hotel  (which  is  near 
Carnegie  Hall).  Lunch  was  provided  at  11.15.  At 
1.30  the  buses  took  all  the  singers  for  a  visit  to  Mr. 
Schwab’s  residence,  where  an  organ  recital  by  Archer 
Gibson  was  provided.  At  4.15  dinner  in  the  hotel.  At 
5.25  everybody  walked  to  Carnegie  Hall  for  a  rehearsal 
with  the  Philharmonic.  At  6.30  return  to  hotel  to  rest. 
Performance  in  Carnegie  Hall  began  at  8.30 ;  at  10.20 
the  buses  returned  to  the  hotel,  and  an  hour  later  left 
for  the  train,  which  arrived  at  Bethlehem  at  2.15,  when 
special  trolley  cars  were  waiting  to  take  every  one  to 
his  or  her  home. 

The  prescribing  of  movements  to  the  minute, 
followed  successfully  in  1917,  again  had  the 
effect,  not  of  cramping,  but  of  liberating.  The 
members  of  the  party  knew  precisely  where  to 
go  and  when,  and  they  followed  the  schedule 
without  hurrying  or  worrying. 

To  say  that  the  schedule  was  carried  through 
on  time  and  with  entire  smoothness  is  to  give  no 
idea  of  the  spirit  of  the  occasion.  “  Thefulfillment 
of  a  function  highly  creditable  to  the  city  of  Beth- 

1 60 


MEMBERS  OF  THE  CHOIR  AT  THE  NEW  YORK.  RESIDENCE  OF  MR.  SCHW3. 

PHILHARMO  ( 


Photograph  by  Charles  F.  Allen 


I  JANUARY  26,  1918,  PRECEDING  THE  CONCERT  WITH  THE  NEW  YORK 
i  ORCHESTRA 


THE  1918  NEW  YORK  CONCERT 

lehem,”  and  “not  a  junket  or  holiday  excursion,” 
was  the  designation  of  the  Bach  Executive  Com¬ 
mittee  in  an  advance  letter  addressed  to  local  em¬ 
ployers  of  the  singers,  asking  that  they  be  granted 
a  free  day  for  this  trip. 

Both  statements  were  true.  But  the  importance 
of  the  mission  and  the  earnestness  of  the  singers 
in  regard  to  it  did  not  make  this  a  joyless  pilgrim¬ 
age.  The  Choir  has  its  due  quota  of  maidens  and 
youths.  From  the  beginning  of  the  trip  at  7:45 
a.m.  Saturday  until  its  ending  about  3  a.m.  Sun¬ 
day,  they  manifested  no  underrating  of  what 
Stevenson  defined  as  “the  duty  of  being  happy.” 
And  this  spirit  was  as  infectious  in  the  conduct 
of  the  party  during  the  day  as  it  was  in  the 
Choir’s  singing  in  the  evening,  when  youthful 
buoyancy  and  freshness  were  characteristic. 

The  apex  of  the  day’s  pleasure  was  the  recep¬ 
tion  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schwab  in  their  River¬ 
side  Drive  home  in  the  afternoon.  Mr.  Schwab 
greeted  each  member  with  a  cordial  word  and 
a  handshake  as  the  party  filed  in.  Then  Dr. 
Drinker,  speaking  from  the  great  stairway  of  the 
music-room,  expressed,  as  President  of  the  Choir, 

161 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


the  appreciation  of  the  singers  for  the  gener¬ 
ous  hospitality  that  made  this  day  possible.  Mr. 
Schwab,  in  his  happy  response,  maintained  that 
he  was  the  one  indebted.  The  programme  that 
followed  included  organ  selections  by  Mr.  Archer 
Gibson  and  vocal  numbers  by  Mrs.  Merle  Alcock 
and  by  Mrs.  Alcock  and  her  husband,  Mr.  Bechtel 
Alcock.  Then  everybody  promenaded  about  the 
beautiful  house,  viewing  the  paintings  and  tapes¬ 
tries  and  having  the  best  of  times.  And  before 
they  left  Miss  Sarah  E.  Spinner  presented  Mrs. 
Schwab  with  a  fancy-work  piece  of  her  own 
making  which  the  hostess  greatly  prizes. 

After  the  concert  that  night  there  was  another 
joyous  gathering,  when  Mr.  Schwab  came  to  the 
Great  Northern  Hotel  and  told  the  singers  how 
well  they  had  done  and  congratulated  Dr.  Wolle 
and  all  of  them. 

The  opening  of  the  44  1214th  Concert  of  the 
Philharmonic  Society  of  New  York,”  which  the 
44  Carnegie  Hall  Programme”  further  termed 
44  Grand  Gala  Concert  with  the  Co-operation 
of  the  Bethlehem  Bach  Choir,”  had  two  points 
that  differed  from  the  opening  of  the  1917  con- 

162 


THE  1918  NEW  YORK  CONCERT 

cert.  The  first  was  the  rendition  of  the  “Star- 
Spangled  Banner.”  As  one  of  the  New  York 
newspapers  reported,  “At  a  signal  from  Con¬ 
ductor  Wolle  the  Choir,  the  Orchestra,  and 
practically  the  entire  audience  sang  the  national 
anthem,  fully  three  thousand  taking  part.”  It 
was  stirring  beyond  telling. 

“Then,  through  a  great  hush,”  as  “  Musical 
America  ”  expressed  it,  “  there  penetrated  faintly 
and  very  sweetly  the  strains  of  a  chorale,  played 
by  far-off  trombonists.”  These  were  the  thirteen 
players  of  the  Trombone  Choir  of  the  Bethle¬ 
hem  Moravian  Church.  To  New  York  had 
come,  for  the  first  time,  the  present  representa¬ 
tives  of  an  organization  that  has  had  an  intimate 
part  in  Bethlehem’s  religious  and  musical  life 
since  1744.  They  gave,  with  beautiful  effect, 
the  Moravian  chorale,  “Son  of  God,  to  Thee  I 
cry,”  as  a  prelude  to  the  Bach  Choir’s  singing 
of  the  chorus,  “Kyrie,”  from  the  “B  Minor 
Mass.” 

The  complete  programme  of  the  Philhar¬ 
monic  Society  and  the  Bach  Choir  was  as  fol¬ 
lows  :  — 


163 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 
Dr.  J.  Fred  Wolle,  Conductor 

BACH 

i.  “  Kyrie  Eleison,”  from  the  “B  Minor  Mass.” 

1.  Two  chorales,  from  the  Tombeau :  “Ode  of 
Mourning.” 

a.  “  Thou  Bliss  of  Earliest  Innocence.” 

b.  “Wake,  My  Heart.” 

3.  “  Cum  Sancto  Spirituin  Gloria  Dei  Patris,  Amen,” 

from  the  “  B  Minor  Mass.” 

4.  Chorus  and  Chorale,  from  “  When  Will  God  Re¬ 

call  My  Spirit  ?  ” 

5.  “  Sanctus  Dominus  Deus  Sabaoth  ”  from  the 

“  B  Minor  Mass.” 

THE  PHILHARMONIC  SOCIETY  OF  NEW  YORK 
Dr.  Josef  Stransky,  Conductor 

WAGNER 

6.  Excerpts  from  “  Parsifal.” 

a.  “  Good  Friday  Spell.” 

b.  “  March  of  the  Knights  of  the  Holy  Grail.” 

c.  “  Prelude  and  Glorification.” 

Of  the  Bach  Choir’s  share  in  this  programme 
“  Musical  America  ”  said  :  — 

Dr.  Wolle  and  the  Chorus  —  a  true  People’s  Chorus 
—  fully  earned  the  rapturous  applause  bestowed  upon 
them  by  the  audience.  The  beauty  of  the  spirit  is  in 
such  singing,  and  the  great  departed  master  whose 
name  this  choir  bears  would  have  rejoiced  and  been 

164 


THE  MORAVIAN  TROMBONE  CHOIR 


Photographs  by  the  Musical  Courier  and  Musical  America 
VISITORS  LISTENING  TO  TROMBONE  CHORALES 

FESTIVAL  VIEWS  AT  LEHIGH 


THE  1918  NEW  YORK  CONCERT 

glad  to  hear  such  sincere,  devout  utterances  of  his  mu¬ 
sic.  Of  the  latter  surely  nothing  need,  nothing  can,  be 
said.  One  does  not  praise  a  flower  for  the  surpassing 
color  or  fragrance  of  its  petals ;  one  does  not  praise  a 
mountain  because  it  is  sublime. 

America  should  be  grateful  that  there  is  a  Bach 
Choir;  we  in  New  York  should  be  grateful  that  it  vis¬ 
ited  us. 

The  latter  part  of  the  report  of  the  “  New 
York  Evening  Post”  read  as  follows:  — 

The  singing  of  the  chorales  was  a  cappella,  and  was  a 
revelation  to  those  who  never  before  heard  this  chorus, 
particularly  of  wonderful  pianissimo  effects,  as  in  the 
first  one  from  the  “Ode  of  Mourning,”  “Thou  Bliss 
of  Earliest  Innocence.”  The  Chorus  from  the  Cantata 
was  a  triumph  both  for  Bach  and  the  choir.  What  a 
perfect  tonal  picture  the  orchestral  accompaniment  is ! 
The  orchestra  really  bears  the  burden  of  this  number, 
and  the  oboe  and  English  horn  players,  Messrs.  De 
Angelis,  Kirchner,  and  Marchetti,  deserve  a  special 
mention  for  their  playing  of  their  difficult  parts.  The 
orchestration  of  this  must  be  a  surprise  to  those  not 
familiar  with  Bach’s  cantatas — it  is  homophonic,  and 
full  of  color.  The  reiterated  sixteenth  notes  on  the 
flute  add  much  to  the  color  effect,  and  the  effect  is  al¬ 
most  as  “modern”  as  Debussy.  Dr.  Wolle  conducted 
with  the  authority  of  long  familiarity,  and  the  orchestra 
responded  to  him  as  if  he  conducted  them  as  constantly 
as  he  does  the  chorus.  The  introduction  to  the  “Cum 
Sancto  Spiritu  ”  was  the  instrumental  postlude  to  the 

i65 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


preceding  aria,  with  its  enormously  difficult  horn  solo. 
To  say  that  Mr.  Reiter  played  it,  is  to  say  that  it  is 
played  with  absolute  perfection. 

The  Wagner  numbers,  concluding  the  programme, 
contained  selections  from  “  Parsifal  ”  —  the  “  Good  Fri¬ 
day  Spell,”  the  “  March  of  the  Knights  of  the  Holy 
Grail,”  with  the  “Prelude  and  Glorification.”  The 
“  March  of  the  Knights”  is  not  often  heard  —  it  is  im¬ 
pressive,  as  is  all  the  Parsifal  ceremonial.  Mr.  Stransky 
conducted  the  Wagner  numbers  not  only  with  that 
sense  of  dramatic  values  which  is  one  of  his  specialties, 
but  with  a  profound  appreciation  of  the  religious  sig¬ 
nificance.  The  placing  together  in  the  same  programme 
of  the  religious  music  of  Bach  and  the  mystic  sacred 
music  of  “  Parsifal”  was  a  stroke  of  genius. 

In  a  review  which  stated  that  the  large  audi¬ 
ence  exhibited  “all  the  flutter  of  excitement  at¬ 
tending  a  gala  night  at  the  opera,”  the  “New 
York  Globe”  concluded:  — 

Dr.  Wolle  conducted  as  if  he  had  a  special  SOS 
message  for  each  of  the  275  singers  and  each  of  the 
275  responded  nobly.  The  effects  were  really  beautiful 
and  greatly  impressive.  Indeed,  such  generalship  and 
discipline  as  the  leader  and  the  choir  displayed  should 
not  be  reserved  for  aesthetic  endeavor  alone,  but  should 
be  mobilized  for  the  present  practical  crisis. 

The  ordinary,  home-made,  plain-clothes,  go-as-you- 
please  amateur  chorus  is  not  what  many  people  would 
consider  exciting.  But  the  Bach  Choir  of  Bethlehem  is 

1  66 


THE  1918  NEW  YORK  CONCERT 

exciting  and  thrilling.  Its  annual  appearance  in  New 
York  is  a  red-letter  day  in  the  city’s  crowded  musical 
calendar. 

The  ‘‘New  York  Herald”  account  said  that 
“  Carnegie  Hall  was  filled  with  an  enthusiastic 
audience  which  found  both  the  orchestra  and  the 
choir  living  up  to  their  best  traditions.  .  .  .  The 
spirit  of  these  earnest  young  singers  lent  itself 
admirably  to  the  music.  .  .  .  Dr.  Wolle  compels 
admiration  for  his  well-disciplined  chorus.  It 
responds  to  his  slightest  nod.” 

In  a  half-column  account  the  “  New  York 
Sun  ”  described  the  visit  to  New  York  of  the 
Bethlehem  singers  and,  concerning  the  concert, 
said  :  “  Each  number  given  received  the  whole¬ 
hearted  approval  of  the  audience.  .  .  .  The  sing¬ 
ing  of  the  Choir  showed  its  admirable  training 
and  was  highly  impressive.” 

“  The  visiting  singers  again  created  a  very  deep 
impression,”  reported  the  “New  York  Evening 
Mail.”  “Won  high  approval  from  the  audience,” 
was  the  comment  of  the  “New  York  Morning 
Telegraph.”  The  “Brooklyn  Citizen”  said  that 
“fine  tonal  effects  were  achieved,  the  spirit  of 

167 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 

the  chorus  was  admirable  and  the  orchestral  ac¬ 
companiments  sympathetic  and  delightful/' 

Terming  this  “  a  concert  of  prime  importance," 
the  “New  York  American  "said:  “There  was  real 
exaltation  in  4  Kyrie  Eleison  ’ ;  impressive  in  a 
marked  degree  was  the  ‘  Gloria  ’ ;  and  the  har¬ 
monic  vitality  and  noble  resonance  of  ‘  Holy, 
Holy,  Holy  ’  were  revealed  with  superb  spirit 
and  potency." 

The  “Musical  Courier"  review  closed:  — 

A  good  instance  of  Dr.  Wolle’s  complete  mastery 
over  his  great  choral  force  was  given  in  the  whisper¬ 
like  pianissimo  at  the  close  of  the  chorale  which  ends 
this  composition.  It  was  hard  to  believe  that  so  large 
a  body  of  singers  could  be  made  to  produce  such  finely 
graded  tones.  .  .  . 

These  visits  of  the  Bethlehem  forces  to  New  York 
now  have  come  to  be  a  recognized  feature  of  the  metro¬ 
politan  musical  season.  It  affords  a  chance  for  music 
lovers  to  hear  some  of  the  greatest  works  of  choral  lit¬ 
erature  presented  in  a  manner  which  can  be  attained  by 
no  other  body  of  singers.  Surely  one  may  look  forward 
to  the  visit  being  made  a  permanent  annual  feature. 

CONCERT  FOR  AMBULANCE  SOLDIERS 

The  programme  they  gave  in  New  York  was 
repeated  by  the  Bethlehem  Bach  singers  under 

1 68 


AMBULANCE  SOLDIERS’  CONCERT 


Dr.  Wolle  on  Sunday  afternoon,  February  io, 
before  two  thousand  soldiers  of  the  United  States 
Army  Ambulance  Service  stationed  at  Allentown, 
Pennsylvania.  The  invitation  came  from  Lieu¬ 
tenant-Colonel  C.  P.  Franklin.  Expenses  inci¬ 
dent  to  the  trip  were  borne  by  Mr.  Schwab,  in 
honor  of  the  Ambulance  Service. 

Additions  to  the  programme  were  the  sing¬ 
ing,  in  opening,  of  “  God  Save  the  King”  and 
the  “  Marseillaise  Hymn,”  following  the  “Star- 
Spangled  Banner.” 

The  khaki-clad  audience  in  Recreation  Hall 
at  the  camp  was  made  up  of  square-shouldered 
young  Americans,  most  of  them  college  men, 
from  every  state  in  the  Union  and  every  terri¬ 
tory  and  island  possession.  Their  reaction  to  the 
music  of  Bach  was  an  interesting  study.  As  the 
magnificent  choruses  of  the  “B  Minor  Mass” 
and  the  beautiful  chorales  were  sung  by  the 
Choir,  the  multitude  of  upturned  soldierly  faces 
was  a  screen  upon  which  were  registered  the 
great  emotions,  the  spiritual  content  of  this  sub¬ 
lime  music.  And  then,  as  each  number  was 
concluded,  the  light  that  never  was  on  land 

169 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


or  sea  changed  in  these  faces  to  a  boyish  glow 
and  they  clapped  and  cheered  as  they  do  when 
their  crack  “  Usaac  ”  basketball  team  wins  a 
game. 


VI 


DR.  J.  FRED  WOLLE,  CONDUCTOR  OF  THE 
BACH  CHOIR 

BETHLEHEM’S  musical  present  is  linked 
with  its  past  in  the  founder  and  conductor 
of  the  Bach  Choir.  Dr.  J.  Fred  Wolle  is  a  great- 
great-grandson,  on  his  mother’s  side,  of  Matthias 
Weiss  (1709-95),  a  native  of  Miihlhausen,  Swit¬ 
zerland,  who,  reaching  Bethlehem  in  1743  with 
the  “Second  Sea  Congregation,”  became  one 
of  the  early  musicians  of  the  community.  Dr. 
Wolle’s  great-grandfather,  John  George  Weiss, 
born  in  1758,  served,  in  the  years  following  the 
Revolutionary  War,  as  organist  of  the  church,  as 
a  violinist  of  the  Collegium  Musicum,  and  as  a 
teacher  of  music  in  the  Boys’  School.  His  grand¬ 
father,  Jedediah  Weiss  (1796-1873),  was  an  out¬ 
standing  personality  in  Bethlehem’s  music  for 
more  than  a  half-century  in  his  several  capacities 
as  bass  soloist  of  the  church,  a  member  of  the 
trombone  choir,  and  a  performer  on  the  violin 
and  the  bassoon.  The  grandfather  for  whom  Dr. 

171 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


Wolle  was  named  —  John  Frederick  Wolle  — 
figured  in  the  musical  activities  of  Bethlehem  in 
the  first  half  of  the  past  century  as  a  violoncellist 
and  a  double-bass  player.  Theodore  F.  Wolle,  a 
cousin  of  Dr.  Wolle’s  father,  was  organist  of  the 
church,  a  violinist,  and  a  leading  spirit  in  the 
Philharmonic  Society  in  the  seventies. 

That  musical  talent  is,  in  general,  a  mental  in¬ 
heritance  was  established  by  Sir  Francis  Galton 
in  his  study  of  the  genealogies  of  Bach,  Mozart, 
and  others.  Dr.  Wolle’s  family  tree,  extending 
back  to  Poland  and  Switzerland,  fulfills  the  gen¬ 
eralization  of  Sir  Francis  in  the  number  of  both 
the  Wolle  and  Weiss  branches  who  were  musi¬ 
cians.  There  is,  however,  one  curious  hiatus. 
Neither  Francis  Wolle  nor  Elizabeth  Weiss 
Wolle,  the  father  and  the  mother  of  Dr.  Wolle, 
had  musical  talent.  Because  of  family  traditions 
and  the  surroundings  in  Bethlehem  they,  of 
course,  had  musical  interests. 

Francis  Wolle  (1817-93)  made  botany  his 
avocation  and  his  books  on  “  Fresh  Water  Algae,” 
“  Diatoms,”  and  “  Desmids”  of  the  United  States 
won  him  international  note  as  a  naturalist.  Of  in- 

172 


Photograph  by  Flickinger 

DR.  J.  FRED  WOLLE 


Founder  and  Conductor  of  the  Bethlehem  Bach  Choir 


DR.  J.  FRED  WOLLE 

terest  also  was  his  invention  of  the  first  machine 
for  making  paper  bags,  patented  in  the  United 
States  and  Europe  in  1852.  A  clergyman  of  the 
Moravian  Church,  he  served  for  twenty  years  as 
Principal  of  the  Moravian  Seminary. 

It  was  in  the  Seminary  that  John  Frederick, 
youngest  of  three  sons  and  five  daughters,  was 
born  on  April  4,  1863.  The  future  conductor 
of  the  Bethlehem  Bach  Choir  there  spent  his 
boyhood  in  an  exceptional  musical  atmosphere. 
When  he  was  about  seven  years  old,  Fred,  as  he 
has  always  been  called,  was  taught  to  play  the 
piano  by  his  sister  Helen  (now  Mrs.  Charles  L. 
Doolittle),  a  skilled  pianist  and  organist,  who  was 
an  instructor  in  the  Seminary  for  some  years. 
Another  of  his  early  teachers  was  Miss  Caroline 
Brown,  a  resident  in  the  Sisters’  House. 

Among  the  incidents  of  boyhood  days  was 
the  “  church  service  ”  conducted  in  the  Seminary 
basement  by  Fred  and  his  friend  Paul,  now  the 
Reverend  Dr.  Paul  de  Schweinitz,  Secretary  of 
Missions  of  the  Moravian  Church.  Fred  would 
play  an  old  melodeon,  imitating  the  prelude  im¬ 
provisations  of  his  second  cousin,  Theodore  Wolle, 


I73 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 

who  was  then  organist  of  the  Moravian  Church. 
Paul  preached  and  Fred  played  at  many  a  service 
of  this  character.  The  same  ancient  melodeon 
was  Fred’s  instrument  a  few  years  later  in  a  ju¬ 
venile  orchestra. 

An  organ  had  been  installed  in  the  Seminary 
Chapel  by  the  Reverend  Mr.  Wolle,  the  Prin¬ 
cipal,  in  1869.  Without  any  special  instruction 
Fred  learned  to  play  it,  improvising  by  the  hour. 
His  proficiency  as  a  mere  boy  qualified  him  to 
be  a  substitute  for  his  sister  Helen  as  organist  at 
the  Seminary  opening  service  ;  and  later  he  regu¬ 
larly  played  at  this  service  each  morning  at  8.10 
o’clock.  Then  he  would  go  to  the  Moravian 
Parochial  School  and  serve  as  organist  at  the 
chapel  service  there. 

As  a  student  Fred  was,  his  classmates  testify, 
of  good  powers.  Although  he  declares  that  his 
brain  is  “emphatically  unmathematical,”  he 
doubtless  had  more  ability  in  this  direction  than 
he  admits,  inasmuch  as  he  was  called  upon  for 
one  year  after  his  graduation  in  1879  to  teach 
algebra,  arithmetic,  and  geometry  to  the  higher 
classes  of  the  Parochial  School  (now  the  Mora- 

*74 


DR.  J.  FRED  WOLLE 

vian  Preparatory  School).  From  his  father  Fred 
acquired  an  interest  in  natural  science;  and  the 
study  of  spiders,  whose  habits  his  father  taught 
him  to  observe,  continues  to  be  his  diversion  and 

The  problem  of  Fred’s  life-work  greatly  per¬ 
plexed  the  Reverend  Mr.  Wolle,  who  had  no 
great  regard  for  music  as  a  career  for  his  son. 
When  the  choice  of  college  or  apprenticeship  in 
the  drug-store  of  the  late  Simon  Rau  was  pre¬ 
sented  to  him,  young  Wolle  decided  upon  the 
drug-store  simply  because  he  felt  that  this  would 
give  him  more  time  to  devote  to  his  beloved 
organ. 

It  was  while  employed  in  Rau’s  drug-store 
that  he  became  organist  of  Trinity  Episcopal 
Church.  H  is  first  formal  organ  lessons  were 
taken  while  he  held  this  position,  his  teacher 
during  the  fall  of  1883  and  the  spring  of  1884 
being  Dr.  David  Wood,  the  blind  organist  of 
Philadelphia. 

In  June,  1884,  when  he  was  twenty-one  years 
old,  young  Wolle  accomplished  an  end  for  which 
he  had  been  working,  saving,  skimping.  He  went 

175 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


to  Germany  to  study  under  Josef  Rheinberger. 
Arriving  in  Munich  in  July,  he  coached  under 
teachers  of  the  Royal  Conservatory  of  Music,  of 
which  Rheinberger  was  Director,  and  in  August 
he  passed  examinations  qualifying  him  to  become 
one  of  the  four  organ  pupils  Rheinberger  accepted 
each  year.  In  all  of  this  work  his  church  expe¬ 
rience  in  Bethlehem  stood  him  in  good  stead. 
As  a  trombone  and  viola  player  he  had  become 
familiar  with  the  old  clefs.  His  practice  in  im¬ 
provising  —  an  art  always  cultivated  by  Moravian 
organists  —  enabled  him  to  win  Rheinberger’s 
approval.  He  made  rapid  progress,  therefore,  in 
the  study  of  the  organ  and  of  counterpoint. 

Thorough  musicianship  —  this  was  the  lesson 
Dr.  Wolle  learned  from  Rheinberger.  But  there 
was  a  fundamental  difference  in  temperament 
and  viewpoint  between  a  teacher  who  regarded 
the  organ  as  strictly  an  ecclesiastical  instrument 
to  be  played  without  emotion  and  a  pupil  whose 
whole  thought  was,  and  is,  that  the  organ  —  and 
all  music  —  should  express  human  feeling. 

It  was  as  an  organist  that  Dr.  Wolle  began,  and 
in  this  field  he  has  continued,  winning  high  rec- 

176 


DR.  J.  FRED  WOLLE 

ognition.  For  twenty  years  he  was  organist  of 
the  Moravian  Church  in  Bethlehem  and  for 
eighteen  years,  from  1 8 87  to  1905,  he  was  organ¬ 
ist  of  Lehigh  University.  He  played  at  the  weekly 
service  in  Packer  Memorial  Church  of  the  Uni¬ 
versity  each  Sunday  morning  of  the  collegiate 
year,  and  also  at  daily  morning  prayers.  Hun¬ 
dreds  of  Lehigh  men,  from  all  parts  of  the  coun¬ 
try,  thus  came  to  know  Dr.  Wolle  and  his  work. 
Other  connections  in  recent  years  were  with 
Salem  Lutheran  Church  and  now  again  with 
Trinity  Episcopal  Church. 

Dr.  Wolle  —  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Music 
was  conferred  upon  him  by  the  Moravian  Col¬ 
lege  and  Theological  Seminary  in  1904  —  was 
one  of  the  founders  of  the  American  Guild  of 
Organists.  He  gave  organ  concerts  at  the  World’s 
Fair  in  Chicago  in  1893  and  at  ^ie  St.  Louis 
Exposition  in  1904.  His  programme  of  Bach 
music  at  the  latter  concert  attracted  attention 
and  won  strong  commendation. 

In  his  earlier  years  Dr.  Wolle  wrote  a  number 
of  hymn  tunes,  songs,  small  pieces  for  piano  and 
organ,  chorus  and  orchestral  selections,  and  also 


177 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


made  transcriptions  for  organ  of  Wagner  excerpts 
and  of  Bach  compositions  written  for  a  two- 
manual  clavichord. 

The  work  upon  which  Dr.  Wolle’s  reputation 
is  based  —  his  founding  and  conducting  of  the 
Bethlehem  Bach  Choir  —  is  related  in  detail  in 
other  chapters  of  the  present  book.  It  is  suffi¬ 
cient  for  this  immediate  sketch  to  repeat  that, 
from  1882  to  1892,  he  conducted  the  Bethle¬ 
hem  Choral  Union;  from  1900  to  1905,  the 
Bethlehem  Bach  Choir  in  six  festivals  held  in 
the  Moravian  Church;  and  from  1912  to  date, 
the  reorganized  Bethlehem  Bach  Choir  in  yearly 
festivals  at  Lehigh  University. 

During  the  years  from  1905  to  1911,  Dr. 
Wolle  was  head  of  the  Music  Department  of 
the  University  of  California.  He  conducted  a 
chorus  of  about  three  hundred  students  of  the 
University  in  such  works  as  Handel’s  “  Messiah,” 
Rheinberger’s  “  Christoforus,”  and  Liszt’s  “  Thir¬ 
teenth  Psalm.”  The  Symphony  Orchestra  organ¬ 
ized  by  Dr.  Wolle  gave  spring  and  autumn  con¬ 
certs  in  the  Greek  Theater.  In  addition  they 
furnished  the  orchestral  setting  for  dramatic 


DR.  J.  FRED  WOLLE 

productions  like  “  Midsummer  Night’s  Dream,” 
“  Eumenides,”  and  “Antigone,”  the  last-named 
with  Margaret  Anglin  in  the  play.  Dr.  Wolle’s 
devotion  to  Bach  led  to  the  organization  of  a 
Bach  Choir  composed  of  about  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  citizens  of  Berkeley  and  Univers¬ 
ity  students  who,  in  1909  and  1910,  sang  the 
“Mass  in  B  Minor”  and  the  “St.  Matthew 
Passion”  in  the  Greek  Theater.  At  the  second 
of  these  Bach  festivals  a  chorus  of  five  hundred 
school-children  took  part  in  the  singing  of  the 
chorales. 

A  paragraph  or  two  now  as  to  how  Dr.  Wolle 
came  to  devote  himself  to  Bach.  His  acquaint¬ 
ance  with  Bach  was  not  made  until  he  was  in 
his  twenty-first  year.  This  was  when,  as  a  pupil 
of  Wood,  he  heard  the  blind  master  play  the 
great  preludes  and  fugues.  The  enchantment  be¬ 
gan  there.  It  continued  when,  under  Rheinber- 
ger  in  Munich,  he  devoted  himself  solely  to 
Rheinberger’s  own  compositions  and  to  Bach. 

To  the  young  American  Bach  singing  in  Ger¬ 
many  seemed  like  a  leap  back  to  the  Moravian 
Church  in  Bethlehem.  The  services  of  the  con- 


179 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


gregation  at  home  had  included  from  the  earliest 
days  the  old  hymns  upon  which  Bach  built  his 
chorales,  cantatas,  and  oratorios.  Bach’s  marvel¬ 
ous  treatment  and  elaboration  of  these  familiar 
melodies  captivated  him.  One  fine  spring  day  in 
i  885  he  heard  a  large  chorus  sing  the  “  St.  John 
Passion”  in  the  Odeon  in  Munich,  assisted  by 
soloists  of  the  Royal  Opera  Company.  Then 
and  there  he  felt  an  inspiration  to  devote  him- 
self  to  interpreting  the  music  of  this  supreme 
master.  It  was  a  summons.  To  it,  for  more  than 
thirty  years,  he  has  been  obedient.  Dr.  Wolle 
has  studied,  played,  directed,  and  preached  Bach. 
As  Edward  FitzGerald,  “twin  brother  in  the 
spirit,”  translated  Omar  Khayyam,  Dr.  Wolle 
has  made  Bach’s  choral  work  mean  something 
more  than  a  name  in  America  to-day. 

It  seems  fitting  to  include  here  some  account 
of  how  this  conductor  instructs  his  singers,  and 
something  also  about  his  interpretation  of  Bach. 

A  valuable  system,  sound  in  its  psychology, 
has  been  worked  out  and  applied  by  Dr.  Wolle 
in  teaching  Bach.  It  is  based  upon  the  idea  that 
if  you  start  at  the  beginning  of  a  chorus  you 

1  80 


DR.  J.  FRED  WOLLE 

present  to  the  singers  so  formidable  a  task  that 
they  tend  to  grow  discouraged  at  the  prospect. 
Moreover,  if,  in  proceeding  from  the  opening 
of  a  beautiful  chorus,  you  make  a  mistake  in  the 
middle  of  it,  a  stop  to  correct  the  mistake  means 
destroying  the  atmosphere,  the  mood. 

Instead  of  this  Dr.  Wolle  follows  a  practice 
of  beginning  at  the  end  of  a  piece.  “The  last 
line  on  page  106;  the  last  line  on  page  106,” 
he  will  announce,  with  his  invariable  incisive 
repetition  of  the  direction.  So  the  Choir  has  its 
initial  attempt  at  some  massive  chorus,  teeming 
with  difficulties,  in  the  last  three  or  four  meas¬ 
ures. 

“  That ’s  fine,  very  good !  ”  the  Conductor 
beams  when  these  have  been  mastered.  “  We 
shall  now  start  four  measures  forward,  first  line, 
page  106;  first  line,  page  106.” 

And  the  singers  attack  the  new  measures,  go¬ 
ing  on  to  the  close,  which  now  seems  to  them 
familiar,  an  old  friend.  Thus  they  learn  the  en¬ 
tire  chorus  in  a  manner  that  minimizes  discour¬ 
agement  and  defeat  and  that  preserves  the  mood, 
the  spirit  of  the  composition.  Always  they  reach 

1 8 1 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


the  end,  the  satisfying  close,  triumphantly.  This 
is  why  it  is  no  figure  of  speech  to  say  that  the 
Bethlehem  singers  know  their  music  forward 
and  backward.  They  learned  it  backward. 

Mr.  Fullerton  L.  Waldo,  music  critic  of  the 
“  Philadelphia  Public  Ledger,”  after  watching 
him,  from  a  point  of  vantage  on  the  Choir  plat¬ 
form,  wrote  as  follows  about  Dr.  Wolle’s  con¬ 
ducting  in  a  Festival:  — 

It  would  be  hard  to  imagine  Dr.  Wolle  conducting 
with  a  “stick.”  For  he  could  not  then  crook  the  little 
finger  of  the  left  hand  that  way  or  pull  the  curved  and 
quivering  digits  toward  himself,  hauling  the  very  soul 
of  the  choral  forces  after  them.  To  watch  him  in  action 
from  the  choir  side  is  a  revelation.  In  such  a  climax  as 
the  “  Superbos  mente  ”  in  the  “  Magnificat  ”  his  face  is 
a  map  of  fighting  emotions,  his  eyes  support  the  ancient 
Baconian  superstition  of  actual  “  ejaculations,”  his  whole 
being  vibrates.  .  .  . 

When  to  such  intensely  self-forgetful  enthusiasm  is 
added  a  profound  searching  of  the  scriptures  of  Bach, 
it  is  a  leadership  men  and  women  are  bound  to  follow 
with  all  their  might,  if  they  have  an  interest  in  life 
superior  to  the  material  phases.  Each  singer  makes  it 
his  or  her  business  to  give  the  last  atom  of  breath,  of 
mentality,  of  nervous  energy  to  the  performance;  and 
with  this  blazing  zeal  on  the  part  of  conductor  and  con¬ 
ducted,  is  there  room  for  wonder  that  a  light  shines 

182 


DR.  J.  FRED  WOLLE 

upon  the  green  hills  of  Bethlehem,  and  that  pilgrims 
are  led  thither  as  by  the  starry  sign  in  the  heavens  that 
guided  the  world  to  another  Bethlehem  centuries  ago  ? 

It  is  Dr.  Wolle’s  conviction  that,  although 
Bach’s  work  was  written  and  printed  without  ex¬ 
pression  marks,  it  should  not  therefore  be  given 
without  expression. 

Here  was  a  master  who,  despite  an  outwardly 
uneventful  and  rather  commonplace  life,  with 
petty  troubles  and  even  squabbles,  was  all  the 
while  having  an  inner  life  of  immense  richness 
and  range.  Here  was  an  imagination  running 
the  gamut  of  human  emotions,  with  touches  of 
the  transcendent  and  divine.  Bach  had  a  sense 
of  the  dramatic  as  keen  as  that  other  man  of 
quiet  outward  life,  Shakespeare.  Bach’s  music 
is  highly  pictorial,  with  striking  contrasts.  For 
example,  there  is  the  contrast  in  the  “  B  Minor 
Mass,”  between  the  choruses  “Crucifixus”  and 
“  Et  resurrexit.”  The  words,  “  In  sepultus  est,” 
go  down  to  the  lowest  tones  of  bass,  tenor,  alto, 
and  soprano.  There  is  no  accompaniment  — 
which  emphasizes  the  depression.  The  music 
dies  away.  A  moment’s  pause.  Then,  from  the 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 

lowest  notes,  Bach  starts  44  Et  resurrexit”  with 
a  burst  of  exultant  sound  and  ascending  passages. 
Trumpets,  drums,  and  the  full  orchestra  join  in 
music  that  is  a  perfect  embodiment  of  life  and 
jubilation. 

Dr.  Wolle  aims  to  vivify  in  the  reading  of 
Bach.  When  there  is  scorn  in  the  words  of  an 
oratorio  passage,  this  conductor  makes  his  singers 
fling  scorn  into  the  music.  When  the  thought 
is  of  tenderness  and  peace,  the  rendition  breathes 
these.  And  when  the  Choir  sings  the  contrasted 
choruses  of  the  44  Mass,”  the  manifest  intent  of 
Bach  is  expressed  in  a  way  that  profoundly  stirs 
Festival  attendants  year  after  year. 

The  conductor  of  the  Bethlehem  Bach  Choir 
experiments.  At  the  1915  Festival,  he  had  the 
entire  Choir  sing  all  of  the  solos  as  well  as  the 
choruses.  At  the  New  York  Philharmonic  anni¬ 
versary  concert  in  1917,  the  hymn  which  Luther 
wrote  for  his  children  (possibly,  as  one  account 
has  it,  as  a  cradle  song)  was  hummed  by  the 
Choir. 

Dr.  Wolle,  to  sum  up,  believes  in  and  prac¬ 
tices  a  modern  interpretation  of  Bach.  This  at- 

184 


DR.  J.  FRED  WOLLE 

titude  has  been  assailed  in  criticism  reminiscent 
of  that  which,  Mr.  Howe  relates,  was  showered 
in  the  early  eighties  upon  Georg  Henschel  for 
his  “  un-Hay dnesque”  manner  of  conducting  the 
Boston  Symphony  Orchestra  in  Haydn’s  sym¬ 
phonies  and  ‘‘the  tempi  at  which,  especially  for 
the  first  year,  he  took  familiar  pieces  of  classic 
music.”  Mr.  Henschel  had  vigorous  defenders, 
including  Mr.  Higginson.  Dr.  Wolle  has  vigor¬ 
ous  defenders  also.  Mr.  Finck,  for  example,  in 
the  “  New  York  Evening  Post”  of  June  4,  1917, 
referred  thus  to  the  Bach  Choir’s  work  at  the 
Philharmonic  Society’s  jubilee  concert  of  Janu¬ 
ary  20  :  — 

It  was  the  most  finished  and  thrilling  Bach  singing 
ever  heard  in  New  York;  but  a  prominent  critic,  who 
labors  under  the  old,  exploded  notion  that  Bach  was  a 
dry,  old  fogey,  whose  works  must  be  performed  with 
dismal,  mechanical  solemnity,  and  without  a  trace  of 
human  feeling,  fell  foul  of  Dr.  Wolle,  because  of  his 
highly  nuanced  readings  of  these  excerpts. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  Dr.  Wolle  did  not  do  anything 
for  which  Bach  himself  would  not  have  applauded  him 
cordially.  A  mountain  of  evidence  has  accumulated  in 
recent  years,  proving  that  Bach  yearned  for  “modern” 
variety  of  shading  and  expression  in  his  music.  Indeed, 
the  most  thorough  and  enlightened  of  all  the  Bach 

1 85 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


scholars,  Schweitzer,  in  summing  up  the  evidence,  goes 
so  far  as  to  say  that  no  other  composer  “makes  such 
play  as  he  with  light  and  shade.”  “  It  would  be  a 
great  mistake,”  he  further  remarks,  “  to  think  that 
Bach  wished  for  no  more  nuances  than  he  has  usually 
marked.  Proof  to  the  contrary  may  be  had  in  the 
movements  which  he  has  liberally  sprinkled  with  forte, 
piano,  and  pianissimo.”  He  made  many  expression 
marks  in  his  scores  for  his  personal  use,  and  left  much 
besides  to  verbal  directions. 

H  ow  far  Bach  was  from  being  the  rigid,  desiccated 
old  pedant  some  would  have  him,  is  strikingly  indi¬ 
cated  by  his  attitude  toward  bells.  Purists  cross  them¬ 
selves  whenever  they  hear  a  set  of  chimes  in  an  organ 
like  that  which  adorns  Mr.  Schwab’s  residence  in  New 
York.  Now,  how  about  Bach  himself?  Would  he,  too, 
have  scorned  such  a  “cheap  ”  device  ? 

We  know  what  he  actually  did  do.  When  he  came 
in  temporary  possession  of  the  organ  at  St.  Blasius,  he 
found  much  to  repair  and  improve,  and  he  asked  for 
the  addition  of  a  Glockenspiel,  or  peal  of  bells,  to  be 
acted  on  by  pedals,  an  invention  of  his  own. 

It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  to  emphasize  such 
facts.  It  is  necessary  to  call  attention  frequently  to 
the  humanity  of  Bach,  to  his  emotionalism  and  geni¬ 
ality,  in  order  to  rouse  the  public  to  a  realization  of 
the  fact  that  much  of  his  music,  now  unknown  or  little 
known,  could  be  done  in  a  way  that  would  make  as 
stirring  an  appeal  to  modern  audiences  as  the  works  of 
Chopin,  Liszt,  and  Wagner.  Dr.  Wolle  does  this  at 
Bethlehem. 


1 86 


DR.  J.  FRED  WOLLE 

The  late  Theodore  Thomas,  in  1901,  wrote 
of  Dr.  Wolle  :  “  The  only  man  in  America  who 
was  able  to  give  a  Bach  Festival,  and  that  of 
three  days.” 

To  which  may  be  moderately  added:  The 
one  man  in  this  country  who  inspires  and  leads 
a  Choir  devoted  to  Bach  —  an  important  force 
in  choral  music  in  America  to-day. 


VII 

MR.  CHARLES  M.  SCHWAB  AND  THE  BACH  CHOIR 


WHEN  Mr.  Charles  M.  Schwab  entered 
the  breakfast  room  of  his  Riverside  Drive 
home,  in  New  York,  on  Christmas  morning, 
1916,  his  first  glance  fell  upon  a  pile  of  three 
hundred  small  white  cards  surrounded  by  red 
roses  near  his  plate  at  the  table.  He  turned  to 
Mrs.  Schwab,  who  had  come  into  the  room, 
and  read  aloud  a  letter  placed  upon  the  three 
hundred  cards. 

This  was  the  letter  :  — 

Bethlehem,  Pa.,  Christmas,  1916. 

Dear  Mr.  Schwab:  —  As  a  committee  represent¬ 
ing  the  members  of  the  Bach  Choir,  we  have  been  en¬ 
trusted  by  them  with  the  pleasant  duty  of  transmitting 
to  you  this  unanimous  tribute  of  their  esteem,  and  of 
their  deep  and  hearty  appreciation  of  all  you  have 
done  in  support  of  the  Choir,  and  for  the  encourage¬ 
ment  of  the  study  of  classic  music  in  the  Bethlehems. 
Sincerely, 

Joseph  W.  Richards,  "j 
George  R.  Booth,  V  Committee. 
Henry  S.  Drinker,  J 

188 


Photograph  by  C.  M.  Hayes 

MR.  CHARLES  M.  SCHWAB 
Main  Guarantor  of  the  Bethlehem  Bach  Choir 


MR.  CHARLES  M.  SCHWAB 


Each  of  the  three  hundred  cards  of  greeting, 
decorated  with  a  picture  of  poinsettias  and  indi¬ 
vidually  signed,  was  inscribed  as  follows  :  — 

Bethlehem,  Pa.,  Christmas ,  1916. 

Mr.  Charles  M.  Schwab:  — 

My  Dear  Sir:  —  As  a  member  of  the  Bach  Choir 
I  wish  to  express  my  personal  appreciation  of  what 
you  have  done  and  are  doing  for  the  Choir  and  your 
great  interest  in  its  success. 

May  I  also  wish  you  a  Merry  Christmas  and  a 
Happy  New  Year. 

Yours  very  truly, 

These  greetings  from  his  singer  friends  in 
Bethlehem  delighted  Mr.  Schwab.  He  wrote 
to  them  as  follows :  — 

To  the  members  of  the  Bethlehem  Bach  Choir : 

Your  beautiful  Christmas  and  New  Year  greetings 
have  touched  me  deeply.  Both  for  your  kindly  thought 
and  the  pains  you  have  taken  to  express  it  I  thank 
you  most  heartily.  Our  relationship  has  been  a  pleas¬ 
ant  one.  It  has  been  an  honor  to  assist  the  cause  of 
good  music  as  represented  in  the  Bach  Choir. 

I  hope  to  see  you  all  in  New  York  with  the  Phil¬ 
harmonic  Society  on  January  20.  With  sincere  New 
Year’s  greetings  to  the  Bach  Choir  and  to  each  of  you 
personally,  I  am, 

Faithfully, 

Charles  M.  Schwab. 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


The  visit  of  the  singers  to  New  York,  referred 
to  by  Mr.  Schwab,  took  place  on  January  20, 
1917.  Then,  as  has  been  related,  the  Bach  Choir 
took  part  in  a  Bach-Beethoven  programme  with 
the  New  York  Philharmonic  Society  in  Car¬ 
negie  Hall,  in  connection  with  the  Society’s 
celebration  of  the  seventy-fifth  anniversary. 

The  idea  of  inviting  the  Bethlehem  Choir  to 
join  in  the  Philharmonic  anniversary  programme 
occurred  to  Mr.  Oswald  Garrison  Villard,  Pres¬ 
ident  of  the  Philharmonic  Society,  when,  in 
company  with  Mr.  Henry  T.  Finck,  Music  Ed¬ 
itor  of  the  “NewYork  Evening  Post,”  he  heard 
the  Bach  Festival  at  Lehigh  in  May,  1916. 
Mr.  Villard  spoke  to  Mr.  Schwab  about  his 
thought  as  they  stood  together  under  the  campus 
trees  listening  to  the  chorales  of  the  Moravian 
Trombone  Choir  as  the  music  floated  down 
from  the  great  stone  tower  of  the  University 
Church.  Mr.  Schwab  liked  the  idea.  He  vol¬ 
unteered  to  bear  all  expenses  of  taking  the  sing¬ 
ers  to  New  York  for  the  suggested  rendition. 
Later  a  formal  invitation  was  presented  from 
President  Villard  and  Conductor  Stransky  of  the 

190 


MR.  CHARLES  M.  SCHWAB 


Philharmonic  Society,  to  President  Drinker  and 
Conductor  Wolle  of  the  Bach  Choir.  When  the 
question  of  the  trip  was  placed  before  the  mem¬ 
bers  of  the  Choir  the  vote  to  accept  the  invita¬ 
tion  was  unanimous.  Immediately  after  voting, 
the  Choir  passed  a  resolution  thanking  Mr. 
Schwab,  and  this  formal  action  was  conveyed  to 
him. 

The  vote  was  likewise  unanimous  and  a  simi¬ 
lar  resolution  of  thanks  was  passed  in  November, 
1917,  when  an  invitation  was  received  to  repeat 
the  appearance  of  the  Philharmonic  Society  in 
New  York,  Mr.  Schwab  again  assuming  the  ex¬ 
penses  of  traveling  and  entertainment. 

It  was  a  joyful  company  that  thronged  Mr. 
Schwab’s  Riverside  Drive  residence  on  the  after¬ 
noon  of  the  second  New  York  concert,  January 
26,  1918.  The  steel-master  was  host  and  him¬ 
self  showed  the  Choir  members  through  his 
great  house.  In  his  talk  to  them  in  the  music- 
room,  after  Mr.  Archer  Gibson  had  played  on 
the  organ,  Mr.  Schwab  expressed  once  more  his 
interest  and  pride  in  the  Bach  Choir. 

His  interest  and  pride  are  concretely  repre- 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


sented  in  the  carrying  of  a  large  part  of  the  financial 
burden  of  the  Bach  Festivals.  Of  the  inevitable 
deficit  Mr.  Schwab  has,  from  the  first  year  of  the 
revival,  borne  half.  Without  this  help  and  the 
encouragement  he  gave  before  and  after  Dr. 
Wolle’s  return  East  in  191 1,  the  Festivals  might 
not  have  been  resumed.  Certainly  without  his 
share  and  the  assurance  of  further  aid,  if  neces¬ 
sary,  the  Festivals  of  these  war  years  would  have 
to  be  intermitted. 

Of  this  cooperation  in  the  Bach  movement 
the  “Outlook”  editorially  said:  — 

In  giving  it  financial  backing  Mr.  Charles  M.  Schwab 
is  performing  as  distinctive  a  service  as  that  which 
Major  Higginson  has  performed  in  his  support  of  the 
Boston  Symphony  Orchestra. 

Another  interesting  comment  was  that  of 
Mr.  Henry  T.  Finck  in  the  “New  York  Even¬ 
ing  Post,”  May  29,  1916,  in  which  he  referred 
to  Mr.  Schwab  as  the  man  who,  — 

starting  with  the  lowest  wages  paid  by  Andrew  Car¬ 
negie,  rose  in  a  short  time  to  being  the  highest-paid 
employee  the  world  has  ever  seen,  with  a  salary  of  a 
million  dollars  a  year.  Now  that  he  is  his  own  boss, 
he  plays  with  millions  as  boys  do  with  marbles,  one 


192 


MR.  CHARLES  M.  SCHWAB 


trifling  item  in  his  bill  of  expenses  this  year  being  some 
thirty  million  dollars  for  improvements  and  extensions 
of  the  steel  works,  which  extend  for  a  distance  of  four 
miles  along  the  Lehigh  River.  Fortunately,  Mr.  Schwab 
is,  like  several  other  wealthy  Americans,  intensely  in¬ 
terested  not  only  in  music,  but  in  good  music — aye, 
the  best  of  all,  the  music  of  Bach;  and  it  is  due  largely 
to  his  generous  interest  that  Dr.  J.  Fred  Wolle,  the 
famous  organist  and  choirmaster,  has  been  able  to  make 
his  native  town  of  Bethlehem  known  throughout  the 
musical  world  as  the  home  of  Bach’s  art. 

There  is  method  in  Mr.  Schwab’s  limitation 
of  liability  to  one  half  of  the  Festival  deficit  in 
normal  times.  “  I  would  cheerfully  pay  every 
cent  of  the  expenses,  and  consider  it  an  honor,” 
he  has  declared,  “but  that  would  never  do. 
People  would  promptly  lose  interest  in  the  Fes¬ 
tivals  if  they  did  n’t  feel  an  obligation  to  help, 
too.”  This  is  in  accordance  with  Mr.  Schwab’s 
theory  in  his  relation  to  all  movements  in  Beth¬ 
lehem  that  it  is  for  the  community’s  good  for 
him  to  give  with  citizens,  rather  than  to  them. 

An  application  of  this  principle  was  exhibited 
in  the  popular  campaign  to  raise  a  fund  toward 
the  new  bridge  that  is  to  connect  the  South, 
East,  and  West  Sides  of  Bethlehem.  After  the 


193 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 

citizens  had  secured  their  share  of  the  sum 
sought,  the  Bethlehem  Steel  Company  matched 
this  amount,  and  Mr.  Schwab  added  his  personal 
check  for  fifty  thousand  dollars.  The  same  prin¬ 
ciple  was  observed  in  the  Liberty  Loan,  the  Red 
Cross,  the  Y.M.C.A.,  the  Knights  of  Columbus, 
and  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  campaigns,  in  all 
of  which  Bethlehem  made  outstanding  records. 

During  this  last-named  campaign,  when  more 
than  twenty-one  hundred  three-year  member¬ 
ships  were  obtained  for  the  Greater  Bethlehem 
Association,  Mr.  Schwab  said,  referring  to  the 
election  of  Mr.  Archibald  Johnston,  Vice-Presi¬ 
dent  of  the  Bethlehem  Steel  Company,  as  the 
first  Mayor  of  the  consolidated  City  of  Beth¬ 
lehem: — 

The  thought  is  furthest  from  my  mind  that  the  so- 
called  steel  interests  shall  in  any  way  be  dictators  in 
our  community.  We  are  happy  to  be  plain  citizens, 
lending  our  efforts  to  the  advancement  of  Bethlehem. 

It  is  pertinent,  in  a  book  on  the  Bethlehem 
Bach  Choir,  to  touch  upon  these  matters  because 
they  relate  ultimately  to  the  community  aspect 
of  the  Choir  —  one  of  its  most  important  aspects. 


194 


MR.  CHARLES  M.  SCHWAB 

It  is  not  impertinent,  in  view  of  Mr.  Schwab’s 
connection  with  the  Choir,  to  consider,  as  illu¬ 
minative  of  his  Bach  interest,  the  general  atti¬ 
tude  of  Mr.  Schwab  toward  music. 

The  steel-master’s  patronage  of  musical  ac¬ 
tivity  is  no  millionaire’s  fad.  Since  boyhood 
music  has  been  an  integral  part  of  his  life,  and 
to-day  as  he  listens  or  plays  —  or  pays  —  he  is 
giving  expression  to  native  tastes  long  and  per¬ 
sistently  cultivated.  The  Schwab  family  was  mu¬ 
sically  inclined.  His  aunts  were  choir  singers. 
His  grandfather  led  a  church  choir.  His  sister, 
now  Sister  Cecilia  of  St.  Joseph  Mother  House, 
Greensburg,  Pennsylvania,  is  director  of  music 
there,  and  has  a  reputation  as  a  pianist  of  un¬ 
common  ability.  The  boy  Charles  began  his  study 
of  music  at  the  age  of  nine.  Old  friends  of  the 
family  tell  about  his  playing  a  reed  organ  when 
he  was  so  small  that  some  one  would  have  to 
assist  him  in  using  the  pedals.  As  a  youth  of 
seventeen,  while  attending  St.  Francis  College 
in  Loretto,  he  studied  music  under  Father  Bowen, 
chaplain  of  the  college,  and  an  able  musician. 

Mr.  Schwab’s  earliest  and  strongest  love  is  for 

*95 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


the  organ.  It  dates  back  to  his  boyhood  days  when 
he  played  for  his  grandfather,  who  was  the  leader 
of  a  church  choir  at  Williamsburg,  Pennsylvania. 
The  steel-master  tells  an  amusing  story  of  how, 
when  he  was  about  ten  years  old,  he  incurred 
the  displeasure  of  this  grandfather,  a  stern  man. 
While  he  was  playing  during  a  service  the  boy’s 
nose  began  to  itch.  The  itching  ^became  most 
tantalizing,  but  he  kept  his  hands  dutifully  upon 
the  organ  keys.  Relief  came  with  a  rest  passage 
in  the  music.  So  vigorously  did  the  boy  then  rub 
his  itching  nose  that  the  other  boys  in  the  congre¬ 
gation  noticed  it  and  laughed  out  loud;  where¬ 
upon  his  grandfather  cuffed  the  young  organist 
soundly  over  the  head.  As  Mr.  Schwab  related 
this,  sitting  on  the  bench  of  his  great  organ  in 
his  New  York  home,  he  rubbed  his  nose  remi¬ 
niscently —  and  then  his  head. 

Asked  about  the  current  stories  that  it  was  his 
organ  playing  or,  as  some  versions  have  it,  his 
singing,  that  first  attracted  Mr.  Carnegie’s  atten¬ 
tion  to  him,  Mr.  Schwab  said  there  is  no  basis  of 
truth  in  such  accounts.  It  is  a  fact,  however,  that 
his  handling  of  the  violin,  in  which  he  had  some 

196 


MR.  CHARLES  M.  SCHWAB 

skill,  greatly  pleased  his  first  employer  in  the 
Braddock  works.  Captain  W.  R.  Jones,  of  whom 
the  chairman  of  the  Bethlehem  Steel  Corpora¬ 
tion  has  said,  “  he  knew  more  about  steel  than  any 
other  man  in  America.”  Captain  Jones  and  other 
early  associates  took  huge  delight  in  Mr.  Schwab’s 
organ  performances.  One  of  these  was,  after  ren¬ 
dering  classic  numbers,  to  entertain  his  friends 
by  playing  the  “  Fisher’s  Hornpipe,”  with  the 
right  hand  and  “Yankee  Doodle”  with  the  left, 
at  the  same  time  singing  “  Home,  Sweet  Home.” 

Mr.  Schwab  still  plays  the  organ  occasionally. 
His  is  a  magnificent  instrument  probably  not  sur¬ 
passed  in  the  country.  When  he  put  up  his  River¬ 
side  Drive  residence,  the  steel  magnate  arranged 
for  an  organ,  instructing  the  Aeolian  Company 
and  Mr.  Archer  Gibson,  his  organist,  to  spare  no 
expense  in  searching  the  world  for  anything  that 
would  add  musical  value.  There  are  really  many 
organs  instead  of  one,  located  in  different  parts 
of  the  house,  so  that  the  sounds  come  from  vary¬ 
ing  distances.  In  its  chimes,  its  harp,  and  other 
instrumental  features  and  the  echo  effect,  the 
instrument  is  remarkable.  Mr.  Schwab  testifies 

l97 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


that  he  finds  nothing  so  soothing,  so  refreshing 
after  the  strain  of  business,  as  to  sit  with  Mrs. 
Schwab  listening  to  this  organ  as  played  by  Mr. 
Gibson’s  master  hands. 

In  the  great  organ  hall — a  beautiful  and 
acoustically  perfect  hall  —  appear  from  time  to 
time  many  of  the  foremost  artists  of  the  world 
to  sing  and  play  for  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schwab  and 
their  guests.  The  great  steel  man’s  patronage  has 
in  it  no  suggestion  of  patronizing.  Mr.  Schwab 
is  generous  with  both  his  purse  and  personality. 
The  artists  who  go  to  his  home  almost  invaria¬ 
bly  become  something  more  than  acquaintances. 
Among  musicians  and  music  critics  in  the  me¬ 
tropolis,  Mr.  Schwab’s  friendships  are  numerous 
and  cordial.  One  of  the  considerations,  in  fact, 
that  led  prominent  New  York  critics  to  resume 
reporting  the  Bach  Festivals  was  their  personal 
regard  for  Mr.  Schwab.  When  the  steel-master 
likes  a  performance,  either  in  the  making  of 
steel  or  in  the  making  of  music,  he  beams  all  over, 
and  the  performer  in  the  mill  or  hall  receives 
the  Schwab  smile  and  the  Schwab  vocabulary  of 
praise,  which  is  Rooseveltian  in  vigor. 

198 


MR.  CHARLES  M.  SCHWAB 

Mr.  Schwab’s  power  of  oral  expression,  by  the 
way,  is  noteworthy.  According  to  some  reports, 
his  public  talks  in  his  early  business  career  were 
rather  halting.  To-day  he  has  developed  into  a 
speaker  of  forceful  and  felicitous  utterance.  This 
Mr.  Schwab  himself  denies.  Once,  at  a  Bach 
Choir  rehearsal  in  the  University  Church,  he 
was  called  upon  by  President  Drinker  to  address 
the  singers.  “  Until  Dr.  Drinker  told  me  I  had 
to  talk,  I  sat  back  there  enchanted  with  the  mu¬ 
sic,”  the  chairman  of  the  Bethlehem  Steel  Cor¬ 
poration  began,  “but  really  I  did  n’t  enjoy  that 
last  chorus  —  after  he  broke  the  news.  I  am  no 
after-singing  or  after-dinner  speaker.  I ’m  like 
the  fellow  who,  following  an  experience  like  this, 
said  he  now  understood  why,  in  the  picture  of 
Daniel  in  the  lion’s  den,  the  victim  looked  so 
contented.  Daniel  knew  he  would  n’t  be  called 
on  for  an  after-dinner  speech.” 

Mr.  Schwab’s  secret  seems  to  be  that  of  Peter 
Pan.  He  is  still  a  big  boy  in  his  curiosity,  his  en¬ 
thusiasm,  his  unaffected  delight  in  people  and 
things.  His  are  forward-looking  thoughts. 

His  programme  of  what  the  Bethlehem  Steel 

199 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


Corporation  is  to  become  no  one  knows  definitely, 
for  he  has  not  told  it.  Perhaps  he  means  to  com¬ 
plete  the  picture  he  painted  before  the  country’s 
greatest  financiers  and  business  men  at  the  famous 
dinner  in  his  honor  in  1899,  when  he  outlined 
the  possibilities  of  organization  in  making  Amer¬ 
ica  lead  the  world  in  the  new  steel  era. 

Mr.  Schwab  has  told  his  vision  of  the  com¬ 
munity  of  Bethlehem  as  an  ideal  industrial  city, 
with  homes,  parks,  libraries,  educational,  art,  and 
musical  facilities  that  shall  be  exceptional.  Upon 
several  public  occasions  he  has  referred  to  his 
purpose  of  presenting  to  the  city  of  Bethlehem 
a  temple  of  music  to  be  the  home  of  the  Bach 
Choir  and  also  of  the  Lehigh  Valley  Symphony 
Orchestra  and  of  the  Bethlehem  Steel  Company 
Band.  War  conditions  have  held  this  donation  in 
abeyance.  Details  about  the  projected  auditorium 
and  its  location  have  not  been  worked  out,  but 
that  it  will  be  a  structure  of  dignity  and  beauty 
—  worthy  of  Bach  —  all  who  know  Mr.  Schwab 
already  know. 

In  the  steel-master’s  conception  of  what  Beth¬ 
lehem  is  to  be,  material  prosperity  has  its  place. 


200 


MR.  CHARLES  M.  SCHWAB 


but  no  unworthy  prominence.  The  best  traditions 
of  the  historic  community  will  be  preserved.  In 
Mr.  Schwab’s  vision  the  things  of  the  spirit  re¬ 
main  foremost.  And  symbolical  of  these  is  the 
Bethlehem  Bach  Choir. 


VIII 

THE  EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE  OF  THE  CHOIR 


IN  a  letter  sent  to  guarantors  several  years  ago 
by  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Beth¬ 
lehem  Bach  Choir  the  following  aim  was  ex- 

The  Bach  Festivals  are  the  culmination  of  endeavor 
on  the  part  of  a  band  of  men  and  women  who  believe 
they  have  found,  in  the  noble  settings  of  sacred  texts 
by  the  master  Bach,  the  very  acme  of  perfection  in  re¬ 
ligious  art.  These  they  would  interpret,  assured  that  in 
singing  these  inspiring  strains  —  repeating  them  year 
after  year,  until  poem  and  song  become  as  household 
words  —  they  are  bringing  into  many  lives  rare  mo¬ 
ments  of  rest  and  uplift. 

Public  and  musical  spirit  at  their  best  have 
been  exhibited  by  the  citizens  whose  services  as 
members  of  the  Executive  Committee  as  man¬ 
agers  and  as  guarantors  have  furnished  a  business 
management  for  carrying  out  this  aim. 

A  sketch  that  presumes  to  give  an  account  of 
the  development  of  a  successful  amateur  choral 
society  would  fall  short  if  it  omitted  to  show  how 


202 


THE  EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE 


the  craft  in  question,  after  sailing  past  the  Scylla 
of  musical  difficulties,  escaped  the  Charybdis  of 
financial  disaster.  To  give  the  business  procedure 
of  the  Bach  Festivals  may  help  others  engaged  in 
similar  enterprises  elsewhere  or  guide  others  who 
would  begin  similar  enterprises. 

As  the  chapter  on  “The  Beginnings  of  Bach 
Singing  in  Bethlehem”  disclosed,  Dr.  Wolle 
had  loyal  helpers  in  the  early  years  of  the  Choir, 
1900-05.  The  handling  of  finances  as  Treasurer 
was  taken  care  of  by  Mr.  Milton  J.  Shimer,  whose 
activities  from  Choral  Union  days  to  the  present 
constitute  a  record  of  value  in  Bethlehem’s  mu¬ 
sical  history.  Tribute  should  here  be  paid  to  the 
officers  of  the  earlier  period  :  President  Ralph  R. 
Hillman  of  Buffalo,  New  York,  and  his  wife, 
Mrs.  Evelyn  Chandler  Hillman,  who  continue 
energetic  Choir  supporters;  Miss  Lucy  A.  Brick- 
enstein  of  Washington,  D.C.,  who  is  with  the 
Choir  for  every  festival  and  of  whom  the  “  Church 
Standard”  once  said  that  “she  is  dependable  as 
soloist  or  in  the  chorus.  .  .  .  Without  such  de¬ 
voted  women  the  Bach  Festivals  at  Bethlehem 
would  not  be  possible”;  Dr.  W.  S.  Franklin,  the 

203 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 

first  Vice-President  of  the  Choir ;  Mr.  Clinton 
F.  Zerweck,  now  of  the  teaching  staff  of  the 
Newark  Academy,  the  former  energetic  and  cap¬ 
able  Librarian.  Other  names  of  the  earlier  work¬ 
ers  are,  to  repeat,  Mr.  Howard  J.  Wiegner,  the 
Recording  Secretary,  and  additional  members  of 
committees  :  Miss  Martha  H.  Wunderling,  Miss 
Helen  E.  Shields,  Mr.  E.  H.  Wilhelm,  Mr.  F. 
A.  Sterling,  Mr.  S.  A.  Sten  Hammar,  and  Dr. 
William  Frederic  Bade.  To  the  memory  of  Mrs. 
Ruth  Porter  Doster,  whose  work  in  organizing 
the  first  Bach  Choir  has  been  related,  no  tribute 
too  glowing  can  be  paid. 

While  he  was  assisted  by  the  co-workers  just 
named,  Dr.  Wolle  was  substantially  the  business 
manager  as  well  as  the  conductor  of  the  earlier 
Festivals.  Relief  from  the  strain  of  business  de¬ 
tails  was  provided  in  the  organization  developed 
by  the  citizens  who  became  the  Executive  Com¬ 
mittee  when  the  Bach  Choir  and  the  Festivals 
were  resumed  upon  the  return  of  Dr.  Wolle  from 
California. 

The  first  formal  meeting  of  the  citizens  inter¬ 
ested  took  place  on  the  evening  of  October  19, 

204 


THE  EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE 

1 91 1,  in  the  parlors  of  the  Moravian  Seminary. 
There  were  present  Dr.  Wolle,  Mr.  Albert  N. 
Cleaver,  Dr.  W.  L.  Estes,  Dr.  W.  P.  Walker, 
Dr.  J.  H.  Clewell,  Mr.  George  R.  Booth,  Mr. 
M.  J.  Shimer,  Mr.  A.  C.  Huff,  Dr.  H.  M.  Ull- 
mann,  Mr.  T.  Edgar  Shields,  Mr.  Frank  G. 
Hoch,  Mrs.  A.  N.  Cleaver,  and  Mrs.  William 
H.  Chandler. 

A  permanent  organization  was  formed  under 
the  name  of  the  Bach  Choir,  and  President  Henry 
S.  Drinker,  of  Lehigh  University,  was  elected 
President.  Messrs.  Cleaver  and  Shimer  and  Dr. 
Estes  were  appointed  a  committee  to  draft  a  con¬ 
stitution  and  by-laws  and  to  formulate  a  general 
plan  of  organization.  At  a  meeting  on  Novem¬ 
ber  18,  these  additional  officers  were  elected: 
Vice-President,  Mr.  George  R.  Booth ;  Secre¬ 
tary,  Mr.  Frank  G.  Hoch;  Treasurer,  Mr.  Al¬ 
bert  N.  Cleaver. 

Although  it  is  by  no  means  held  up  as  a  model, 
the  constitution  of  the  Bach  Choir,  adopted  at 
this  second  meeting,  possesses  interest  as  a  simple 
and  workable  scheme.  Membership  in  the  Bach 
Choir  Society  was  made  to  consist  of  the  original 

205 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 

incorporators,  the  active  members  of  the  Choir, 
all  persons  who  are  guarantors  in  any  sum  of  ten 
dollars  or  more,  and  representatives  of  the  Indus¬ 
trial  Commission  of  Bethlehem  and  the  Com¬ 
mercial  League  of  South  Bethlehem. 

The  officers  are  a  President,  a  Vice-President, 
a  Secretary,  and  a  Treasurer,  who  hold  office  for 
one  year.  The  Treasurer  keeps  accounts  of  all  re¬ 
ceipts  and  disbursements  and  pays  bills  only  with 
the  approval  of  the  Executive  Committee. 

Management  is  vested  in  a  Board  of  Managers, 
which  consists  of  thirty-five  members  elected  by 
the  guarantors  and  the  Choir.  The  Board  ap¬ 
points  the  Conductor  and  handles  the  business 
of  the  Society. 

The  detail  work  is  done  by  the  Executive 
Committee,  which  consists  of  fifteen  members 
“  whose  duty  it  shall  be  to  direct  and  control  the 
affairs  of  the  Society.”  The  Executive  Commit¬ 
tee  members  are  chosen  from  the  Board  of  Mana¬ 
gers  and  are  divided  into  three  classes  serving  for 
one  year,  two  years,  and  three  years,  respectively. 

There  are  various  sub-committees  of  the  Board 
of  Managers:  choir  membership,  festival  tickets, 

206 


THE  EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE 


entertainment  of  festival  attendants,  programme, 
church  arrangements  and  publicity.  The  chair¬ 
man  of  the  choir  membership  committee  is  Sec¬ 
retary  of  the  Chorus. 

In  the  constitution  adopted  at  the  second  meet¬ 
ing,  the  objects  of  the  Choir  were  given  as  “the 
study  and  performance  of  the  choral  and  other 
music  of  John  Sebastian  Bach  or  other  com¬ 
posers.”  In  the  by-laws  the  further  purpose  was 
stated  of  endeavoring  to  “  establish  in  other  cities 
and  towns  in  the  country  auxiliary  Bach  Choir 
societies”  in  order  to  spread  understanding  and 
appreciation  of  the  work  of  Bach.  Conditions 
have  not  thus  far  appeared  favorable  to  under¬ 
take  this  secondary  object. 

The  financial  statements  of  the  1900—05  pe¬ 
riod  show  that  the  proceeds  of  the  Festivals  ap¬ 
proximately  met  the  expenses,  with  small  deficits 
made  up  by  guarantors.  The  larger  deficits  of 
the  present  Festivals  are  due  to  engaging  profes¬ 
sional  orchestra  players,  providing  a  salary  for 
the  conductor  and  other  expenses.  In  meeting 
these  deficits  music  lovers  of  Bethlehem  and  cer¬ 
tain  Eastern  cities  have  become  guarantors.  The 

207 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 

amounts  guaranteed  range  from  ten  dollars  up 
to  Mr.  Schwab’s  half  of  the  entire  deficit.  The 
proportions  of  the  guarantees  called  for  follow¬ 
ing  each  of  the  Lehigh  Festivals  were:  1912, 
forty-one  per  cent;  1913,  fifty-two  per  cent; 
1914,  sixty-seven  per  cent ;  1915,  sixty  per  cent ; 
1916,  forty-eight  per  cent;  1917,  eighty  per 
cent.  Guarantors  pay  for  their  tickets  for  the 
Festival,  their  one  privilege  in  this  respect  being 
an  advance  choice  of  seats.  The  price  of  Festi¬ 
val  tickets  is  from  one  dollar  to  two  dollars  for 
each  session,  or  four  dollars  to  eight  dollars  for 
course  tickets.  Admission  to  rehearsals  of  the 
several  weeks  preceding  the  Festival  is  free,  and 
many  persons  take  advantage  of  this. 

A  “Who’s  Who”  list  of  the  officers  and 
members  of  the  Executive  Committee  of  the 
Bach  Choir  may  be  of  interest. 

Mr.  Schwab’s  relations  with  the  Choir  have 
been  outlined  in  the  preceding  chapter. 

Henry  Sturgis  Drinker,  E.M.,  LL.D.,  Presi¬ 
dent  of  the  Bethlehem  Bach  Choir,  is  President 
of  Lehigh  University.  Support  of  the  Bach  Fes¬ 
tivals  is  one  of  the  broader  activities  in  which 


208 


Photograph  by  McCaa  Photograph  by  Pirie  MacDonald 

DR.  HENRY  S.  DRINKER,  President  MR  ALBERT  N.  CLEAVER,  Treasurer 


THE  EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE 


Lehigh  has  participated  during  his  administra¬ 
tion^ —  forestry,  conservation  of  natural  resources, 
the  Summer  Military  Training  Camps,  and  other 
movements  of  national  scope.  Of  Lehigh’s  Bach 
connection  the  “Outlook”  said:  “In  providing 
a  home  for  this  Festival  the  President  and  Trus¬ 
tees  of  Lehigh  University  are  performing  a  serv¬ 
ice  as  distinctly  educational  as  anything  else  the 
University  does.”  President  Drinker’s  personal 
connection  with  Bethlehem  music  dates  back  to 
his  student  years  at  Lehigh,  1867-71,  when  he 
was  a  bass  in  the  old  Philharmonic  Society.  The 
energy,  the  attention  to  detail,  and  the  enthusi¬ 
asm  that  are  characteristic  of  him  have  been  ap¬ 
plied  in  full  measure  to  the  profit  of  the  Bach 
Festivals. 

The  Treasurer  of  the  Bach  Choir  is  Mr.  Albert 
N.  Cleaver.  Mr.  Cleaver  is  a  citizen  of  Bethlehem 
who  has  had  charge  of  large  mining  and  manufac¬ 
turing  interests  for  many  years.  He  is  a  Trustee 
of  Lehigh  University  (a  member  of  the  Trustees’ 
Executive  Committee)  and  is  Secretary  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees  of  St.  Luke’s  Hospital.  A 
prominent  churchman  in  the  Protestant  Episco- 

209 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


pal  Church,  Mr.  Cleaver  has  an  important  influ¬ 
ence  in  the  Diocese  of  Bethlehem  and  in  civic 
and  charitable  movements  locally.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Cleaver  were  leaders  in  the  revival  of  the  Bach 
Festivals  at  Lehigh,  and  Mr.  Cleaver’s  work  in 
season  and  out  of  season  has  been  a  vital  factor 
in  the  Choir’s  success. 

The  Choir’s  Executive  Committee  includes  a 
third  Trustee  of  Lehigh  University, —  the  Chair¬ 
man  of  the  Trustees’  Executive  Committee, — 
Mr.  Warren  A.  Wilbur.  Mr.  Wilbur  is  Presi¬ 
dent  of  the  E.  P.  Wilbur  Trust  Company  of 
Bethlehem.  His  financial  ability  has  been  rec¬ 
ognized  in  positions  of  honor  to  which  he  has 
been  elected  by  various  bankers’  associations. 
Aside  from  his  connection  with  the  industrial 
and  business  development  of  Bethlehem,  Mr. 
Wilbur  has  been  a  guiding  force  in  the  com¬ 
munity’s  civic  advance  and  patriotic  activity. 
Typical  of  this  last  point  is  his  work  as  Chair¬ 
man  of  the  Bethlehem  District  of  the  Pennsyl¬ 
vania  Public  Safety  Committee. 

The  Vice-President  of  the  Bach  Choir  is 
Mr.  George  Rodney  Booth,  Ph.B.,  a  graduate  of 


210 


Photograph  by  McCaa 
MR.  WARREN  A.  WILBUR 


Photograph  by  McCaa 
MR.  T.  EDGAR  SHIELDS,  Organist 


Photograph  by  Flickinger 
DR.  JOHN  H.  CLEWELL 


Photograph  by  Flickinger 
MR.  GEORGE  R.  BOOTH,  Vice-President 


MEMBERS  OF  THE  EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE 


THE  EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE 


Lehigh  University,  a  well-known  attorney  at 
law  practicing  at  the  Northampton  County  Bar. 
For  some  years  he  was  Borough  Solicitor  of 
Bethlehem.  Mr.  Booth  is  a  singer  in  the  Choir. 

Mr.  Milton  J.  Shimer  is  a  member  of  the 
Executive  Committee  who  has  been  connected 
with  Bethlehem  music,  as  has  been  indicated, 
since  the  early  eighties.  Mr.  Shimer  was  for 
forty  years  head  of  William  Shimer,  Son  &  Co., 
manufacturers  of  hardware  and  iron  toys.  He  is 
now  President  of  the  Lattig-Shimer  Company, 
manufacturers  of  furniture  and  movable  school 
desks. 

The  continued  interest  of  the  Moravian  Church 
in  the  Bach  Choir  is  attested  by  the  generous 
hospitality  of  the  Moravian  Seminary  and  Col¬ 
lege  for  Women  in  affording  its  chapel  as  the 
rehearsal  home  of  the  Choir.  The  Reverend 
John  H.  Clewell,  LL.D.,  President  of  the  Semi¬ 
nary  and  College,  whose  cordiality  makes  the 
singers  feel  welcome,  is  a  member  of  the  Choir 
Executive  Committee.  This  attitude  of  Presi¬ 
dent  Clewell  and  the  Seminary  and  College 
Trustees  at  once  fulfills  and  advances  the  tradi- 


21  i 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 

tions  of  an  institution  that  has  been,a  leader  in 
Moravian  music  and  education  and  that  has 
thereby  gained  a  unique  and  wide  reputation. 

Beginning  with  the  second  Bach  Festival  in 
1901,  Mr.  T.  Edgar  Shields  has  been  organist 
of  the  Bach  Choir.  From  the  revival  of  the 
Festivals  in  191 1,  Mr.  Shields  has  been  a  mem¬ 
ber  of  the  Choir  Executive  Committee  with 
charge  of  programme  and  other  arrangements. 
His  service  in  this  twofold  capacity  has  been  in 
accordance  with  the  ability  and  idealism  that 
have  made  him  a  conspicuous  force  in  the  com¬ 
munity’s  musical  life.  Mr.  Shields  is  organist 
and  choirmaster  of  the  Pro-Cathedral  of  the 
Church  of  the  Nativity  and  organist  of  Lehigh 
University.  He  is  a  Professor  in  the  Music  De¬ 
partment  of  the  Moravian  Seminary  and  College 
for  Women. 

Dr.  William  L.  Estes,  Sr.,  Director  and  Sur- 
geon-in-Chief  of  St.  Luke’s  Hospital,  a  mem¬ 
ber  of  the  Bach  Executive  Committee  from  its 
formation,  has  been  an  ardent  supporter  of  mu¬ 
sical  enterprise  in  Bethlehem  since  the  early 
eighties.  His  wife,  the  late  Jeanne  Wynne 


212 


Photograph  by  McCaa 
MR.  F.  G.  HOCH 


Photograph  by  McCaa 


MR.  M.  J.  SHIMER 


Photograph  by  Gessford 


MR.  HENRY  S.  SNYDER 


Photograph  by  Flickinger 


DR.  WILLIAM  L.  ESTES,  SR. 


MEMBERS  OF  THE  EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE 


THE  EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE 


Estes,  was  contralto  soloist  in  the  production  of 
the  “  St.  John  Passion  ”  in  1888,  the  “  St.  Mat¬ 
thew  Passion”  in  1892,  the  “ Christmas  Ora¬ 
torio”  in  1894,  and  at  the  Bach  Festivals  of 
1900,  1901,  and  1903.  She  was  a  gifted  singer 
and  a  thorough  musician.  Her  influence  was  of 
decisive  importance  in  the  formative  years  of 
Bach  singing  in  Bethlehem. 

Mr.  Henry  S.  Snyder  was  elected  to  the  Ex¬ 
ecutive  Committee  in  1913.  Mr.  Snyder  has 
demonstrated  his  lively  interest  in  the  Bach 
Choir  in  more  ways  than  one.  He  is  a  Vice- 
President  of  the  Bethlehem  Steel  Company. 

Mr.  Frank  G.  Hoch,  who  has  been  the  effi¬ 
cient  Secretary  of  the  Executive  Committee  since 
its  formation,  was  treasurer  of  the  former  Ora¬ 
torio  Society  of  the  Bethlehems.  For  many 
years  secretary  of  Mr.  Warren  A.  Wilbur,  he 
is  now  Treasurer  and  General  Manager  of  the 
Industrial  Limestone  Company,  Bethlehem,  and 
Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  the  Globe  Publishing 
Company. 

Mr.  A.  C.  Huff,  the  Executive  Committee 
member  having  charge  of  the  sale  of  Festival 

213 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


tickets,  is  proprietor  of  the  A.  C.  Huff  Music 
Store.  He  was  formerly  President  of  the  Beth¬ 
lehem  Industrial  Commission  and  a  member  of 
the  Bethlehem  Borough  Council. 

Joseph  W.  Richards,  Ph.D.,  is  a  member  of 
the  Committee  who  has  sung  with  the  Choir 
from  its  first  festival  in  1900  to  date.  He  is 
head  of  the  Department  of  Metallurgy  in  Le¬ 
high  University,  Secretary  of  the  American 
Electro-Chemical  Society  and  an  authority  in 
the  metallurgical  world.  Professor  Richards  is  a 
member  of  the  United  States  Naval  Consulting 
Board. 

Natt  M.  Emery,  M.A.,  Litt.D.,  Vice-Pres¬ 
ident  of  Lehigh  University,  is  a  member  of  the 
Executive  Committee  whose  service  in  the  Uni¬ 
versity’s  arrangements  for  the  annual  festivals 
has  been  a  factor  in  their  success. 

Raymond  Walters,  M.A.,  is  a  member  of  the 
Executive  Committee. 

There  should  be  mention  here  of  the  service 
as  Membership  Secretary  of  the  Choir  of  Mrs. 
George  W.  Halliwell.  Her  capable  and  persist¬ 
ent  work  and  unbounded  enthusiasm  are  in  wor- 


214 


Photograph  by  Flickinger 
DR.  J.  VV.  RICHARDS 


Photograph  by  Flickinger 
MR.  A.  C.  HUFF 


Photograph  by  Pirie  MacDonald 
MR.  RAYMOND  WALTERS 


Photograph  by  McCaa 


DR.  N.  M.  EMERY 


MEMBERS  OF  THE  EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE 


THE  EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE 


thy  succession  to  the  precedent  established  by 
the  first  Secretary,  Mrs.  Doster. 

The  membership  of  the  Choir’s  Board  of 
Managers  includes  the  Executive  Committee 
and  the  following :  Hon.  James  M.  Beck,  Hon. 
J.  Davis  Brodhead,  Mrs.  William  H.  Chandler, 
Mrs.  A.  N.  Cleaver,  Mr.  Charles  H.  Fowle, 
Mr.  Eugene  G.  Grace,  Mr.  A.  C.  Graham,  Mrs. 

E.  H.  Gummere,  Mrs.  George  W.  Halliwell, 
Mr.  Thomas  F.  Kleim,  Mrs.  W.  A.  Lathrop, 
Mrs.  R.  P.  Linderman,  Mr.  J.  George  Lehman, 
Mrs.  Barry  MacNutt,  the  Rev.  S.  U.  Mitman, 
Mr.  F.  C.  Stout,  Mr.  James  Platt  White,  Dr. 
H.  M.  Ullmann,  Mr.  Charles  A.  Worsley. 

The  complete  list  of  guarantors  of  the  Bach 
Festivals  from  1900  to  1918  follows:  — 

Mrs.  M.  Louise  Adsit,  Buffalo,  N.Y. ;  Mrs.  Susan 

F.  Albright,  Buffalo,  N.Y. ;  Mr.  Thomas  B.  Ather¬ 
ton,  Wilkes-Barre,  Pa.;  Mr.  James  M.  Beck,  New 
York,  N.Y. ;  Mr.  George  R.  Booth,  Bethlehem,  Pa.; 
Miss  Lucy  Brickenstein,  Washington,  D.C. ;  Mr.  J. 
Davis  Brodhead,  Bethlehem,  Pa.;  Mr.  John  F.  Braun, 
Philadelphia,  Pa. ;  Mrs.  Edward  Buckley,  Philadel¬ 
phia,  Pa.;  Miss  Katharine  Buckley,  Philadelphia,  Pa.; 
Miss  Mary  S.  Buckley,  Philadelphia,  Pa.;  Mrs.  W. 
H.  Chandler,  Bethlehem,  Pa.;  Mrs.  A.  N.  Cleaver, 


21  5 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


Bethlehem,  Pa.;  Mr.  A.  N.  Cleaver,  Bethlehem,  Pa.; 
the  Reverend  J.  H.  Clewell,  Bethlehem,  Pa. ;  Mrs. 
Helen  R.  Coleman,  New  York,  N.Y. ;  Mrs.  Fred¬ 
erick  Conlin,  Plainfield,  N.J. ;  Mrs.  G.  G.  Convers, 
Bethlehem,  Pa.;  the  late  Mrs.  Mary  Packer  Cum¬ 
mings;  Mr.  H.  Edward  Cumpson,  Buffalo,  N.Y. ; 
Miss  Alice  C.  D’Olier,  Burlington,  N.J. ;  Mrs.  R.  H. 
Dana,  New  York,  N.Y.  ;  Mr.  C.  Miner  Dodson, 
Bethlehem,  Pa.;  Mrs.  Martha  S.  Dodson,  Bethlehem, 
Pa.;  Mr.  Charles  M.  Dodson,  Bethlehem,  Pa.;  Mr. 
A.  C.  Dodson,  Bethlehem,  Pa. ;  Dr.  H.  S.  Drinker, 
Bethlehem,  Pa.;  Mr.  Martin  G.  Dumler,  Cincinnati, 
O. ;  the  Reverend  H.  E.  A.  Durell,  East  Mauch 
Chunk,  Pa.;  Mr.  Natt  M.  Emery,  Bethlehem,  Pa.; 
Dr.  W.  L.  Estes,  Bethlehem,  Pa. ;  Professor  W.  S. 
Franklin,  Bethlehem,  Pa.;  Mrs.  Hollis  French,  Bos¬ 
ton,  Mass.;  Mr.  Philip  H.  Goepp,  Philadelphia,  Pa.; 
Deaconess  H.  R.  Goodwin,  New  York,  N.Y. ;  Mr. 
A.  C.  Goodyear,  Buffalo,  N.Y. ;  Mr.  E.  G.  Grace, 
Bethlehem,  Pa.;  Mr.  A.  C.  Graham,  Bethlehem,  Pa.; 
Mrs.  E.  H.  Gummere,  Bethlehem,  Pa.;  the  late  Mr. 
R.  M.  Gummere;  Mr.  Arnold  Hague,  Washington, 
D.C. ;  Miss  Eleanor  Hague,  New  York,  N.Y. ;  Mrs. 
Flora  R.  Harvey,  Philadelphia,  Pa.;  Mr.  R.  R.  Hill¬ 
man,  Buffalo,  N.Y. ;  Mr.  A.  C.  Huff,  Bethlehem, 
Pa.;  Mrs.  Alvin  Hunsicker,  Weehawken,  N.J.; 
M  rs.  Henry  S.  Jeanes,  Philadelphia,  Pa.;  Mr.  Archi¬ 
bald  Johnston,  Bethlehem,  Pa.;  Mrs.  M.  D.  H. 
Kendall,  Washington,  D.C. ;  Miss  Clara  A.  Knapp, 
Bethlehem,  Pa.;  Mrs.  W.  A.  Lathrop,  Dorranceton, 
Pa.;  Lehigh  University,  Bethlehem,  Pa.;  Mr.  J. 


216 


THE  EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE 


George  Lehman,  Bethlehem,  Pa.;  Mr.  August  Lewis, 
New  York,  N.Y. ;  Mrs.  R.  P.  Linderman,  Bethlehem, 
Pa.;  Dr.  W.  D.  McKim,  Washington,  D.C. ;  Miss 
Jane  Graham  Mason,  Germantown,  Pa.;  Mrs.  Helena 
E.  Meigs,  Pottstown,  Pa.;  Mrs.  John  B.  Miles,  St. 
David’s,  Pa.;  Mrs.  Edward  C.  Moore,  Cambridge, 
Mass. ;  the  Moravian  Seminary  and  College  for  Women, 
Bethlehem,  Pa.;  Musical  Coterie,  Wayne,  Pa.;  Mr. 
Frank  J.  Myers,  Bethlehem,  Pa.;  the  late  Mrs. 
Caroline  H.  Myers;  Mr.  George  M.  Newcomer,  New 
York,  N.Y. ;  Mrs.  J.  Madison  Porter,  Easton,  Pa.; 
Mr.  J.  Madison  Porter,  Easton,  Pa. ;  Mrs.  Wm.  M. 
Potts,  Wyebrooke,  Pa.;  Mr.  G.  Reginald  Radford, 
Bethlehem,  Pa.;  Mrs.  J.  S.  F.  Randolph,  Morris¬ 
town,  N.J. ;  Mr.  John  Rice,  Easton,  Pa.;  Professor 
J.  W.  Richards,  Bethlehem,  Pa.;  Miss  Ida  J.  Riegel, 
Riegelsville,  Pa.;  Mrs.  Emma  L.  Roedter,  Cincinnati, 
O. ;  Mrs.  R.  Rossmassler,  Ardmore,  Pa.;  Mrs.  W.  S. 
Russell,  Carlisle,  Pa.  ;  the  Reverend  John  Nevin 
Sayre,  Suffern,  N.Y. ;  Miss  Clara  B.  Sayre,  Bethle¬ 
hem,  Pa.;  Mr.  Charles  M.  Schwab,  Bethlehem,  Pa.; 
Mr.  E.  A.  Seeger,  New  York,  N.Y. ;  Mrs.  Frank  A. 
Seiberling,  Akron,  O. ;  Miss  Maude  G.  Sewall,  Wash¬ 
ington,  D.C. ;  Mr.  R.  A.  Shimer,  Riegelsville,  Pa.; 
Mr.  M.  J.  Shimer,  Bethlehem,  Pa.;  Mr.  Henry  S. 
Snyder,  Bethlehem,  Pa.;  Miss  C.  S.  Spachman,  New 
York,  N.Y. ;  Mr.  Lewis  B.  Stillwell,  New  York, 
N.Y. ;  Mr.  F.  C.  Stout,  Bethlehem,  Pa.;  Mr.  H.  M. 
Ullmann,  Bethlehem,  Pa.;  Mr.  Frank  H.  Ville,  Beth¬ 
lehem,  Pa.;  Mr.  Raymond  Walters,  Bethlehem,  Pa.  ; 
the  Reverend  Stanley  R.  West,  Pottstown,  Pa.;  Mrs. 


217 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


S.  Burns  Weston,  Haverford,  Pa.;  Mr.  James  Platt 
White,  Buffalo,  N.Y. ;  Mrs.  E.  P.  Wilbur,  Bethle¬ 
hem,  Pa. ;  Mr.  Eldredge  P.  Wilbur,  Bethlehem,  Pa. ; 
Mr.  W.  A.  Wilbur,  Bethlehem,  Pa. ;  and  Mr.  H.  A. 
J.  Wilkins,  New  York,  N.Y. 


IX 


A  COMMUNITY  ENTERPRISE 

FOR  more  than  one  hundred  years  —  from 
its  founding  in  1741  to  1845  —  Bethlehem 
was  an  exclusive  church  settlement.  In  the  early 
communistic  Economy  members  were  grouped 
by  trades  and  occupations.  The  men,  quartered 
in  the  Brethren’s  House,  worked  as  farmers,  ma¬ 
sons,  carpenters,  tinsmiths,  millers ;  the  women, 
domiciled  in  the  Sisters’  House,  occupied  them¬ 
selves  in  cooking,  spinning,  weaving,  knitting, 
and  embroidering. 

No  member  of  the  Economy  in  its  earliest 
years  received  wages  or  any  share  of  the  profits 
of  their  agricultural  and  manufacturing  opera¬ 
tions.  In  return  for  their  toil  they  “  merely  got 
their  subsistence  from  the  common  store.”  The 
profit  of  all  labor  went  to  the  furtherance  of  the 
church’s  evangelistic  work  among  the  Indians 
and  other  inhabitants  of  the  section. 

All  of  the  sisters  and  brethren  took  some  part 

219 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


in  music,  whether  simply  by  “a  joyful  noise  unto 
the  Lord”  in  their  numerous  Singstunden  and 
regular  services,  or  by  playing  upon  instruments 
that  would  have  seemed  to  some  sects  to  be  the 
Devil’s  own  invention.  With  the  Moravians  mu¬ 
sic  was  an  institution  of  the  church,  and  it  had, 
as  has  been  shown,  complete  sanction  as  a  rec¬ 
reation.  These  people  lived,  as  truly  as  the  Puri¬ 
tans,  ever  in  their  Great  Taskmaster’s  eye;  but 
they  believed  there  was  no  sin  in  music  —  if  it 
was  good  music.  With  this  as  their  attitude  the 
Moravians  gave  performances,  as  was  related  in 
chapter  i,  that  made  the  community  a  musical 
leader  in  America  of  the  eighteenth  century. 

Love  of  music  and  skill  in  its  rendition  have 
continued  to  be  characteristic  of  their  descend¬ 
ants  and,  in  general,  of  the  city  where  Mr. 
Schwab  has  enthroned  steel  as  king.  It  should 
be  said  that,  of  Bethlehem’s  population  to-day, 
only  about  five  per  cent  are  Moravians.  In  its 
beginning,  when  the  membership  was  about 
eighty,  the  Bach  Choir  was  composed  largely 
of  singers  of  the  Moravian  Church.  Moravians 
continue  to  be  well  represented  in  the  choir  to- 


220 


A  COMMUNITY  ENTERPRISE 


day,  although  in  actual  numbers  several  other 
religious  denominations  exceed  them.  The  homes 
of  eighty  per  cent  of  the  singers  are  in  Bethle¬ 
hem,  with  the  remainder  in  adjacent  towns  and 
cities.  It  is  typically  a  community  chorus. 

To  this  it  may  be  added,  in  repetition,  that 
Dr.  Wolle  is  a  native  of  Bethlehem.  So  likewise 
is  Mr.  Shields,  organist  of  the  Choir.  Citizens 
of  Bethlehem  —  most  of  them  for  many  years 
—  are  the  men  named  in  the  preceding  chapter 
whose  service  as  members  of  the  Executive  Com¬ 
mittee  makes  the  Festivals  a  fact.  Local  institu¬ 
tions  of  learning  furnish  the  Festival  home  and 
the  rehearsal  home  of  the  Choir:  Lehigh  Uni¬ 
versity  and  the  Moravian  Seminary  and  College 
for  Women.  The  chorale  announcements  of  each 
session  of  the  Festivals  are  played  by  the  Mora¬ 
vian  Trombone  Choir,  an  entirely  local  group 
of  musicians.  The  one  element  of  the  Festivals 
not  local  is  the  orchestra,  which  has  been  made 
up,  since  the  revival  of  the  Festivals  at  Lehigh 
in  1912,  of  members  of  the  Philadelphia  Or¬ 
chestra. 

From  divers  sources  there  have  issued  com- 


221 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


ments  upon  the  community  aspect  of  the  Bethle¬ 
hem  Festivals.  “  If  one  would  find  the  ideal  of 
community  singing,  let  him  repair  to  the  leafy 
lap  of  the  hills  of  Bethlehem,”  declared  a  corre¬ 
spondent  of  the  “  Christian  Science  Monitor.” 
Mr.  Thomas  Tapper,  writing  in  the  “  Musical 
Record  and  Review,”  cited  the  Bach  Choir  to 
illustrate  his  point  that  “  Music,  to  be  an  actual 
force  in  a  community,  must  dwell  there.”  The 
New  Bedford,  Massachusetts,  “  Sunday  Standard,” 
in  a  local  study  of  “  the  development  of  a  com¬ 
munity  music  movement,”  instanced  the  Bethle¬ 
hem  enterprise  and  declared  that  the  extent  to 
which  “  the  Choir  and  the  festivals  are  a  com¬ 
munity  affair  ...  is  inspiring  as  to  the  possibili¬ 
ties  of  such  a  movement.”  Mr.  H.  F.  Peyser, 
in  “  Musical  America,”  maintained  that  “  these 
ardent  choristers  of  Bethlehem  ”  represent  the 
consummation  of  a  community  expression  :  — 

Here  are  townspeople  able  to  compass  the  richest 
potentialities  of  community  effort  —  welded  as  they  are, 
into  close  fraternity  in  the  service  of  music,  unified  in 
spirit  and  in  concentration  of  purpose,  aided  to  the 
ends  of  artistic  virtuosity  by  a  transmuting  love,  and 
finding  utterance  not  in  the  crude  products  of  rudi- 


222 


A  COMMUNITY  ENTERPRISE 


mentary  simplicity  but  in  the  loftiest  outgivings  of  cul¬ 
tural  evolution.  Musically  speaking,  the  community 
of  Bethlehem  has  effectually  found  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  within  itself. 

In  presenting  its  extension-work  propaganda 
for  the  development  of  musical  culture  through¬ 
out  the  State,  the  University  of  Wisconsin  re¬ 
ferred  to  the  Bethlehem  Bach  Festivals  as  an 
example  of  the  educational  value  of  communal 
endeavor  in  music  :  “-At  probably  no  other  place 
in  the  world  is  the  difficult  music  of  Bach  studied 
with  such  devotion  as  in  this  Pennsylvania  Ober- 
ammergau.” 

These  typical  comments  indicate  wide  recog¬ 
nition  of  the  Bethlehem  Festivals  as  a  significant 
community  enterprise,  aside  from  their  artistic 
importance.  The  University  of  Wisconsin’s  ref¬ 
erence  suggests  a  vital  outcome — the  educational 
value  of  Bach  study  for  the  singers  as  evidenced 
in  the  discipline  and  in  the  musical  feeling  that 
result. 

Now,  the  discipline,  of  the  Bach  Choir  is  dif¬ 
ferent  in  kind  from  that  of  a  company  of  soldiers 
or  even  of  a  professional  orchestra.  Before  re- 

223 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


hearsals  and  after,  and  during  the  brief  inter¬ 
missions  between  choruses,  the  singers  relax  into 
laughter  and  chatting  —  yea,  gossip.  Dr.  Wolle 
himself  contributes  many  an  atrocious  pun.  His 
talks  to  the  Choir  have  a  delightfully  cheery  tone 

—  a  kind  of  vocal  handclasp  for  every  one.  When 
later  his  words  of  reproof  leap  forth,  lapsing  sing¬ 
ers  know  the  utterly  impersonal  intent  and  they 
are  not  offended.  Similarly,  because  no  element 
of  friendship  could  extort  it,  his  praise  for  work 
well  done  is  intoxicating. 

While  there  is  an  absence  of  military  discipline, 
no  crack  regiment  on  review  could  be  more 
sharply  at  attention  when  the  arms  of  their  Con¬ 
ductor  are  poised.  Every  eye  is  centered  upon  the 
mobile  face  and  the  loquacious  fingers  of  a  leader 

-  who  needs  no  baton.  The  attack  of  the  Bach 
Choir  is  a  wonderful  thing.  In  the  response  to 
Dr.  Wolle’s  every  demand  for  shading,  it  is  as 
though  the  singers  on  the  ten-step  chancel  plat¬ 
form  in  Packer  Memorial  Church  were  a  ten- 
manual  human  organ,  every  one  of  the  two 
hundred  and  fifty  human  keys  yielding  to  the 
touch  of  this  organist-conductor.  The  Bethlehem 

224 


A  COMMUNITY  ENTERPRISE 


Choir  sings  Bach  surpassingly  well  because,  when 
they  begin,  this  one  thing  they  do. 

The  development  of  musical  feeling  has  been 
named  as  a  second  element  in  the  educational 
effect  of  the  Choir’s  work.  An  application  is  here 
supplied  of  the  principle  Matthew  Arnold  sug¬ 
gested  of  carrying  in  the  memory  great  lines  and 
passages  from  the  masters  to  apply  as  touchstones 
in  measuring  poetry.  With  the  melodies  of  Bach 
upon  their  lips  and  in  their  hearts,  the  members 
of  the  Bethlehem  Choir  lose  appetite  for  musical 
mediocrity. 

Nor  is  this  benefit  confined  to  the  singers. 
“All  of  us  throughout  the  churches  and  through¬ 
out  the  community,”  said  the  Reverend  A.  D. 
Thaeler,  D.D.,  pastor  of  the  Bethlehem  Mora¬ 
vian  Church,  in  an  address,  “feel  the  effect  of  this 
Bach  work,  not  only  in  the  Festivals  as  artistic 
successes,  but  in  the  reflex  we  are  getting  in  our 
homes  as  the  result  of  the  Choir’s  singing.” 

As  one  of  the  appendices  of  this  book  shows, 
a  total  of  about  seven  hundred  persons  have  for 
varying  periods  sung  with  the  Bach  Choir.  The 
present  membership  includes  some  veterans  of  the 

225 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


earliest  days.  A  large  percentage  of  the  present 
Choir  have  taken  part  in  all  of  the  Festivals  since 
the  revival  in  1912.  The  stability  and  tradition 
of  the  Chorus  are,  of  course,  furnished  by  this  con¬ 
tinuing  majority.  But,  purely  as  a  musical  propo¬ 
sition,  Dr.  Wolle  welcomes  persons  who  say 
frankly  that  they  may  be  with  the  Choir  a  year 
or  two  only.  It  is  the  admixture  of  fresh  and 
flexible  though  inexperienced  singers  with  rou¬ 
tined,  dependable  voices  that  gives  to  the  Choir’s 
singing  the  buoyancy  of  youth  and  the  repose  of 
maturity. 

From  the  community  aspect  there  is  value  in 
having  many  citizens,  as  Bethlehem  has,  who 
have  profited  by  the  drill  and  the  elevating  influ¬ 
ence  of  Bach  singing.  Such  former  choir  mem¬ 
bers  may  be  likened  to  the  athletic  alumni  of  a 
college  who  retain  enthusiasm  for  sports  and  judg¬ 
ment  as  to  athletic  standards  because  they  once 
played  on  varsity  teams. 

It  is  interesting  to  conjecture  as  to  the  per¬ 
formance  of  all  seven  hundred  past  and  present 
Bach  Choir  members.  There  would  be  precedent, 
of  course,  for  large  choruses,  ranging  from  the 

226 


A  COMMUNITY  ENTERPRISE 


ten  thousand  singers  of  P.  S.  Gilmore  at  the  Peace 
Jubilees  in  Boston  in  1869  and  1872  to  the  one 
thousand  singers  of  the  Philadelphia  Orchestra 
Chorus  who  in  1916  gave  the  Mahler  Symphony. 
For  the  rendering  of  Bach  out  of  doors  or  in  a 
huge  auditorium  the  combined  past  and  present 
Bethlehem  choirs  would  assuredly  be  worth  go¬ 
ing  a  long  way  to  hear.  But  the  law  of  diminish¬ 
ing  returns,  so  definitely  applicable  in  the  enlarg¬ 
ing  of  choruses,  might  readily  disappoint  hopes 
as  to  the  result.  At  any  rate,  Dr.  Wolle  is  con¬ 
tent  with  a  chorus  of  the  present  size,  two 
hundred  and  fifty  singers,  and  with  the  present 
fluctuations. 

Exemplifying,  as  it  does,  what  a  community 
choral  society  may  become,  the  Bach  Choir  has 
importance  in  maintaining  real  standards  in  choral 
singing  in  this  country.  It  shares  influence, 
along  with  other  amateur  societies  of  similar 
spirit,  in  restraining  community  effort  from  the 
“  Silver  threads  among  the  gold”  sort  of  thing. 
“  The  bible  of  these  organizations  [community 
choruses]  ought  to  be  the  Bach  chorales,”  de¬ 
clared  Mr.  Albert  Spalding,  the  violinist,  in  a 


227 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 

“  Musical  America  ”  interview  in  which  he  lauded 
the  work  of  the  Bethlehem  Choir. 

H  ow  this  bible  might  be  studied  by  church 
choirs,  Sunday-Schools,  oratorio  societies,  com¬ 
munity  choruses,  and  how  the  message  of  these 
chorales  might  be  delivered  to  multitudes  to  their 
profit  has  been  indicated  in  the  chapter  on  the 
Bach  Choir,  “A  Musical  Force.”  Consideration 
is  here  confined  to  the  broad  aspects  of  singing 
by  a  community  chorus. 

Requests  have  been  received  for  specific  sug¬ 
gestions  based  upon  Bach  Festival  experience 
that  would  be  helpful  to  those  who  in  other  parts 
of  the  country  “  are  struggling  with  the  prob¬ 
lems  of  community  music.”  These  points  seem 
to  be  pertinent. 

Whatever  the  form  of  a  community  musical 
endeavor,  there  should  be  obtained  somehow  an  as¬ 
sured  financial  basis.  It  is  this  assurance  that  en¬ 
ables  Conductor  and  Choir  in  Bethlehem  to  do 
their  work  without  worrying  about  the  inevit¬ 
able  money  deficit  of  the  Festivals.  Bethlehem 
is  exceptionally  fortunate  in  having  a  group  of 
citizens  like  Mr.  Schwab  and  his  associate  guar- 

228 


A  COMMUNITY  ENTERPRISE 

antors.  But  in  measure  every  community  has 
men  and  women  of  means  who  could  assure 
against  loss  a  home  chorus  organized  to  sing 
good  music. 

Without  a  guarantee  fund  financial  shoals  are 
almost  certain  to  be  encountered.  The  attraction 
of  novelty  will  carry  through  a  season  or  two, 
but  the  development  of  a  permanent  public  taste 
for  good  music  is  a  matter  of  skill  and  zeal  and 
time.  The  conductor  and  the  chorus  can  supply 
skill  and  zeal ;  but  time  means  pages  from  a 
check-book.  Until  the  era  when  the  signing  of 
checks  for  community  music  is  done  by  the  city 
treasurer  —  and  this  seems  a  long  way  off — re¬ 
course  must  be  had  to  private  donors. 

For  the  stimulation  of  such  there  may  be  re¬ 
called  the  fine  rule  formulated  and  applied  by 
the  pioneer  patron  of  music  in  America,  Mr. 
Henry  L.  Higginson,  who  said  about  Boston 
Symphony  Orchestra  concerts:  “Never  mind 
the  balance-sheet !  Charge  the  deficit,  if  there 
be  any,  to  profit  and  forget  the  loss,  for  it  does 
not  really  exist.”  Likewise  the  words  of  Mr. 
Charles  M.  Schwab:  “To  further  the  cause  of 


229 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


music  and  to  enable  as  many  as  possible  to  enjoy 
its  pleasures  and  benefits  is  a  duty  incumbent  upon 
all  good  citizens.” 

The  conductor  ?nust  be  a  musician  of  vision,  per¬ 
sistence ,  and  infectious  enthusiasm.  He  must  be 
able  to  picture  to  his  singers  a  lofty  but  realiz¬ 
able  goal ;  he  must  be  able  with  patience  to  abide 
their  blunders  and  deficiencies ;  he  must  be  able 
to  inspire  them  to  the  utmost  measure  of  study, . 
of  drill,  of  feeling.  Unless  he  can,  hoping  all 
things,  enduring  all  things,  sink  himself  in  the 
work,  the  conductor  will  hardly  build  a  great 
community  chorus.  There  are  leaders  who  can. 
To  secure  such  an  one  should  be  a  primary  con¬ 
sideration  of  those  who  would  promote  com¬ 
munity  music;  second  only  to  obtaining  guar¬ 
antors  to  pay  him  and  to  take  care  of  other 
expenses. 

Then,  when  he  is  engaged,  the  conductor 
should  be  given  complete  power  within  his 
sphere.  A  composition  cannot  be  interpreted 
through  legislation.  For  results  the  conductor 
must  be  an  autocrat  —  a  war-time  President. 

Singers  with  trained  voices  are  not  necessary  to 

230 


A  COMMUNITY  ENTERPRISE 


make  a  good  chorus.  When  the  Handel  and  Haydn 
Society  of  Boston  was  in  its  infancy,  “  the  one 
necessary  qualification,”  the  “ History”  of  the 
Society  states,  “  was  the  possession  of  a  good 
voice ;  and  this,  considering  that  very  few  read¬ 
ers  at  sight  were  available,  was  all  that  could  be 
asked.”  This  is  more  than  the  Bethlehem  Bach 
Choir  now  asks.  Dr.  Wolle  declares  that  he  is 
delighted  to  have  Choir  members  with  only  fair 
voices,  or  even  poor  voices,  —  if  they  possess 
earnestness  and  spirit.  “  There  are  no  require¬ 
ments  as  to  sight-singing  ability.  Judging  from 
experience,  I  do  not  believe  that  one  person  in 
ten  thousand  can  read  music  at  sight.  There  are 
no  requirements  as  to  ear.  In  my  entire  career, 
I  recall  only  one  impossible  ear.” 

These  points  of  Bethlehem  experience  have 
proved  encouraging  to  inquirers  who  lamented 
that  their  towns  lack  persons  of  experience  in 
singing.  One  great  value  of  community  endeavor 
in  music  lies  in  developing  latent  powers,  with 
the  joy  and  uplift  that  expression  gives  to  those 
who  sing.  That  the  results  to  those  who  listen 
may  be  likewise  joyful  and  uplifting,  that  aver- 

231 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


age  singers  may  accomplish  an  important  work, 
is  attested  by  the  Bethlehem  Bach  Festivals. 

There  is  danger  in  over-organizing  a  chorus ,  in 
having  by-laws,  dues,  fines,  and  a  multiplicity  of 
committees.  The  least  possible  government  in 
these  respects  has  proved  the  best  in  Bethlehem. 
A  membership  secretary  who  will  keep  after 
singers  and  somehow  make  them  attend  is  a 
pearl  of  great  price. 

Limitation  to  one  composer  is  not ,  in  general ,  a 
policy  to  be  advised.  The  Bethlehem  Choir’s  suc¬ 
cess  has  come,  it  is  true,  by  restriction  to  the 
study  and  performance  of  Bach’s  music.  This 
has  been  due  to  an  ambition  to  make  familiar 
the  choral  work  of  a  supreme  master,  work  that 
has  been  practically  neglected  in  this  country. 
But  unless  there  is  as  good  a  reason  in  other  cases, 
variety  in  programme  sources  would  seem  more 
favorable  to  maintaining  the  interest  of  most  ama¬ 
teur  singers  and  their  audiences. 

There  is,  to  sim  up,  no  insurmountable  obstacle 
to  other  community  choruses  equaling  what  the  Bach 
Choir  has  acccomplished.  The  qualities  called  for 
are  not  genius  nor  exceptional  beauty  of  voice, 

232 


A  COMMUNITY  ENTERPRISE 


but  fair  musical  intelligence  and  ardor  that  en¬ 
dures.  The  reward  is,  as  Bach  singers  will  testify, 
that  the  work  adds  inches  to  their  spiritual  stature, 
and  they  know  the  joy  that  comes  with  artistic 
achievement. 


X 


A  MUSICAL  FORCE 

WHILE  there  are  risks  as  to  fact  and  taste 
in  setting  forth  priority  in  the  performance 
of  musical  work,  priority  is  interesting  when  the 
performance  is  significant  of  the  period  and  is 
not  what  the  biologists  call  a  “ sport”  or  chance 
specimen.  Thus  Bethlehem’s  achievements  in  its 
early  American  productions  of  Haydn’s  “Crea¬ 
tion  ”  and  “  Seasons  ”  and  of  Mozart’s  symphonies 
are  important  because  they  were  typical  of  a  com¬ 
munity  that  had,  in  the  eighteenth  century,  what 
Mr.  Philip  H.  Goepp  described  as  “the  highest 
musical  activity  in  the  country.”  Similarly  the 
the  first  complete  American  renditions  in  Beth¬ 
lehem  of  the  “St.  John  Passion”  in  1888  and 
of  the  “Mass  in  B  Minor”  in  1900  are  notable 
because  they  reflected  local  conditions  and  forces 
capable  of  producing  a  permanent  Bach  organi¬ 
zation. 

It  should  be  said  at  once  that,  contrary  to  ap- 

234 


A  MUSICAL  FORCE 


parently  general  misimpression,  the  earliest  Bach 
productions  in  the  United  States  were  not  in 
Bethlehem.  The  honor  for  these  belongs,  as  far 
as  available  records  reveal,  to  the  Handel  and 
Haydn  Society  of  Boston.  On  May  13,  1871, 
this  Society  gave  selections  from  the  “St.  Mat¬ 
thew  Passion,”  which  was  sung  in  its  entirety  on 
April  11,  1879.  The  Handel  and  Haydn  pro¬ 
grammes  for  1881,  1882,  1887,  and  1888  show 
Bach  selections.  In  the  first  concert  the  Oratorio 
Society  of  New  York  ever  gave,  that  of  December 
3,  1  873,  the  programme  included  a  Bach  chorale, 
“  To  God  in  whom  I  trust.”  Under  Dr.  Leopold 
Damrosch,  the  Conductor,  the  Oratorio  Society 
sang  on  March  18,  1880,  for  the  first  time  in 
America,  the  “  St.  Matthew  Passion.”  This  ora¬ 
torio  was  repeated  on  March  13,  1884. 

The  priority  of  these  occasional  Bach  rendi¬ 
tions  in  Boston  and  New  York  of  course  does 
not  alter  the  historical  leadership  of  Bethlehem, 
in  its  old  Choral  Union  and  the  present  Bach 
Choir,  as  the  first  definite  force  in  the  country 
devoted  to  Bach’s  music. 

The  achievement  of  the  Bethlehem  Bach 

235 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


Choir,  which  has  been  widely  recognized  in  the 
most  friendly  and  generous  manner,  lies,  not  in 
early  occupancy  of  the  field  of  Bach,  but  in  ear¬ 
nest  and  persistent  tilling  of  that  field  so  that  fruit 
has  been  brought  forth  to  a  goodly  degree  of 
perfection.  Mr.  William  J.  Henderson  touched 
the  heart  of  the  matter  when  he  commented, 
in  an  account  of  the  Bethlehem  Festival,  upon 
“its  concentration  of  aim  and  its  sincerity  of 
spirit.” 

For  the  evolution  of  the  Bach  Choir  as  an 
artistic  power,  earlier  chapters  of  this  book,  quot¬ 
ing  critical  and  other  judgments,  furnish  evidence. 
The  testimony  is  that  the  Choir  has  high  artistic 
rank.  This  is  not  the  testimony  merely  of  those 
who  have  been  captured  by  the  beauty  and  in¬ 
terest  of  the  Festival  setting  at  Lehigh;  nor  of 
those  who  have  been  influenced  by  the  religious 
spirit  of  the  singing;  nor  of  those  whom  Steven¬ 
son  called  “  easy  to  please,  who  love  and  who 
give  pleasure.”  It  is  the  testimony  of  music  critics 
of  eminence,  not  addicted  to  flattery,  who  spice 
their  praise  with  blame.  It  is  moderate,  there¬ 
fore,  to  say  that  a  notable  artistic  position  has 

236 


A  MUSICAL  FORCE 

been  gained  by  an  organization  that  has  won,  for 
example,  the  encomium  of  Mr.  Finck  as  “the 
best  choir  in  the  United  States,”  and  whose  annual 
Festival  is  designated  by  Mr.  Henderson  as  occu¬ 
pying  “a  most  important  place  in  the  musical 
activities  of  the  United  States.” 

Samuel  Butler  put  it  down  in  one  of  his  “  Note- 
Books”  that  “  Bach  is  esteemed  a  more  profound 
musician  than  Handel  in  virtue  of  his  frequent 
and  more  involved  complexity  of  construction.” 
In  the  same  group  of  notes,  the  author  of  “The 
Way  of  All  Flesh”  asseverated  of  Bach:  “It  is 
imputed  to  him  for  righteousness  that  he  goes 
over  the  heads  of  the  general  public  and  appeals 
mainly  to  musicians.” 

To  correct  the  all-too-general  misapprehen¬ 
sion  illustrated  in  these  words  is  a  part  of  the 
educational  and  missionary  effort  of  the  Bethle¬ 
hem  Bach  Choir.  It  is  by  no  means  knocking 
down  a  man  of  straw  to  deal  with  the  criticism 
implied  in  Butler’s  phrase  about  Bach’s  “  involved 
complexity  of  construction”;  this  attitude  has 
been  if  anything  more  common  in  America  than 
with  the  British  public. 


237 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


Massive  and  complex  though  Bach’s  composi¬ 
tions  are,  they  have  nevertheless  a  fundamental 
simplicity,  an  appeal  that  the  unlearned  in  music 
feel  as  well  as  cultivated  listeners.  Dr.  Wolle  is 
insistent  upon  this  point.  “Bach’s  themes  are  as 
simple  as  folk-songs.  Any  boy  on  the  street  can 
whistle  them.  Now  in  places  the  music  ofBach 
is  indeed  wonderfully  ornate,  running  off  in  lit¬ 
tle  embellishments,  with  all  of  the  parts  active 
and  independent.  If  you  prune  off  these  runs, 
these  secondary  notes,  as  you  could  the  leaves 
and  twigs  of  a  tree,  you  will  find  the  tree-trunk 
and  branches  of  a  harmony — based  upon  a  na¬ 
tural  foundation.  This  innate  simplicity  is  the 
reason  Bach’s  music  takes  hold  of  people.” 

Dr.  Wolle  might  have  added  the  qualification 
he  doubtless  implied  —  when  Bach’s  music  is  well 
sung.  There  is  danger  that  singers  may  be  cap¬ 
tivated  by  the  embellishments  of  Bach  and  revel 
in  prideful  execution  of  them:  with  unhappy  re¬ 
sults.  These  things  are  but  the  setting  for  a  pre¬ 
cious  stone.  They  are  like  a  queen’s  robe  of  ex¬ 
quisite  lace.  The  robe  must  be  so  draped  as  not 
to  overwhelm  but  to  enhance  the  beauty  and 

238 


I 


A  MUSICAL  FORCE 

stateliness  and  simplicity  of  the  sovereign  — 
which  is  the  theme. 

That  the  music  of  Bach  does  “  not  go  over 
the  heads  of  the  masses/’  but  “  takes  them  rather 
by  the  hand,”  the  appeal  of  the  Festivals  at  Le¬ 
high  certainly  supplies  evidence.  Professional 
musicians  are  always  numerous  in  the  audiences, 
but  the  large  proportion  each  year  are  persons 
who  represent  “  the  masses”  in  the  sense  at  least 
of  being  unlearned  in  music.  Surely,  also,  the 
firmness  of  the  hold  Bach’s  music  has  upon  the 
affections  of  the  singers  themselves  is  evidence 
that  “ average  folk” — as  the  members  of  the 
Choir  proclaim  themselves  to  be  —  can  and  do 
enjoy  Bach. 

If,  then,  “  the  general  public  ”  does  not  appre¬ 
ciate  Bach,  it  is  mainly  because  his  choral  works 
are  infrequently  presented.  “  The  singing  soci¬ 
eties  are  notoriously  and  confirmedly  shy  of 
Bach’s  choral  music,”  wrote  Mr.  H.  T.  Parker 
in  a  “Boston  Evening  Transcript”  article  on  the 
1916  Festival  at  Lehigh.  To  overcome  this  shy¬ 
ness,  to  popularize  Bach  so  that  his  work  will  be 
sung  as  Haydn,  Handel,  and  Mendelssohn  are 

239 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 

sung,  is  an  avowed  mission  of  the  Bethlehem 
Choir.  Dr.  Wolle  and  his  associates  hope  to  do 
more  than  prove  by  performance  how  altogether 
lovely  are  the  choral  works  of  Bach ;  they  hope 
that  the  Festivals  may  introduce  Bach  to  some 
who  will  stir  other  choruses  to  sing  Bach  too. 

Far  from  claiming  a  mortgage  on  this  master, 
the  Bethlehem  devotees  want  to  share  their  great 
musical  and  spiritual  possession.  They  rejoice 
that  there  are  now  co-workers  in  spreading  Bach’s 
living  message,  as  represented  in  American  cho¬ 
ruses  that  have  recently  produced  the  “St.  Mat¬ 
thew  Passion”:  the  Philadelphia  Orchestra 
Chorus  under  Dr.  Leopold  Stokowski,  in  1917; 
a  Boston  choir  under  Mr.  Eugene  Schmidt,  the 
Oratorio  Society  of  New  York  under  Dr.  Walter 
Damrosch,  and  the  Cincinnati  May  Festival 
Chorus  under  Mr.  Eugen  Ysaye,  in  the  spring 
of  1918. 

To  give  complete  productions  of  the  heavier 
parts  of  the  oratorios  may,  indeed,  be  beyond 
the  capacity  of  small  and  inexperienced  singing 
societies.  It  should  be  remembered,  however, 
that  large  numbers  are  not  essential;  Bach  him- 

240 


A  MUSICAL  FORCE 

self  rarely  had  more  than  seventeen  in  his  choirs 
of  the  St.  Thomas  Church  at  Leipsic.  Cultivated 
voices  are  not  a  requisite ;  few  of  the  Bethlehem 
Chorus  are  trained  singers  in  the  professional 
sense. 

Without  attempting  to  devote  an  entire  fes¬ 
tival  to  Bach,  singing  societies  might  well  in¬ 
clude  a  Bach  chorus  as  one  number  of  a  miscel¬ 
laneous  concert  just  as,  in  organ  music,  it  is  almost 
jokingly  proverbial  that  no  well-regulated  recital 
programme  is  complete  without  its  Bach  fugue. 

A  broader  and  ideal  field  for  Bach’s  vocal 
composition  is  among  church  choirs.  Handel 
and  Mendelssohn  and  many  another  wrote  works 
that  are  religious  in  character  and  that  lend  them¬ 
selves  to  singing  in  a  church.  But  Bach  wrote 
expressly  for  the  church. 

Any  choir  —  no  matter  how  poor  or  how  good 
—  might  with  profit  to  singers  and  their  hearers 
present  the  chorales  of  Bach.  Let  them  take  up 
first  a  simple,  appealing  chorale  such  as  “How 
brightly  shines  the  morning  star,”  or,  “  Sleepers, 
wake,  the  night  is  flying.”  Another  fine  chorale, 
not  difficult  but  of  great  possibilities,  as  the  Bethle- 

241 


THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 

hem  Choir’s  singing  of  it  in  New  York  in  1917 
showed,  is  “World,  farewell,  thy  ways  are  dreary.” 
For  chorales  to  be  used  as  anthems  or  to  be  sung 
by  Sunday-Schools  at  the  great  church  festivals, 
choirmasters  will  find  a  wealth  of  selections 
within  the  “Christmas  Oratorio,”  the  “St.  Mat¬ 
thew  Passion”  and  the  “St.  John  Passion.” 

The  purpose  of  the  Bethlehem  Bach  Choir 
is,  to  repeat,  twofold.  The  Choir  sings  the  works 
of  Bach  as  a  musical  and  spiritual  enterprise.  It 
aims  also  to  spread  abroad  in  the  land  such  an 
appreciation  of  Bach  as  will  cause  many  others 
to  drink  deep  of  the  waters  that  Beethoven  de¬ 
clared  should  be  called  not  Bach  but  Ocean. 


THE  END 


APPENDIX 


APPENDIX  A 


THE  SINGERS  OF  THE  CHOIR.  The  personnel  of  the 
Choir  in  1918  is  given,  followed  by  an  alphabetical  list  of  all 
members  of  the  Choir  in  past  years,  with  voice  and  years  of 
service. 

THE  BETHLEHEM  BACH  CHOIR 


PERSONNEL  1918 

FIRST  SOPRANOS 


Beitel,  Anna 

Boehm,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  0. 
Boyer,  Elsie  M. 
Brickenstein,  Lucy  A. 
Brown,  Elizabeth  R. 
Buckman,  Mrs.  E.  S. 
Bush,  Mrs.  M.  K. 

Buss,  Mrs.  Truman  A. 
Butterworth,  Mrs.  G.  A. 
Cristol,  Gertrude 
Deibert,  Helen 
Detterer,  Pauline 
Estes,  Anna 
Evans,  Kate  E. 

Fowle,  Mrs.  Charles  W. 
Fry,  Mrs.  Howard  M. 
Fuerstenow,  S.  Anna 
Gee,  Mrs.  H.  A. 
Geissinger,  Lilly 
Gozzard,  Anna 
Henry,  Helen 
Hummel,  Miriam 


Huth,  Helen  G. 
Knapp,  Mrs.  Clara 
Knapp,  Mary 
Landis,  Mary  K. 
Lerch,  Helen 
Maynes,  Katharine 
Milchsack,  Mildred  E. 
Miller,  Mrs.  N.  Lloyd 
Miller,  Winifred 
Mitchell,  Hester 
Morrison,  Elizabeth 
Read,  Katherine  C. 
Riegel,  Esther 
Riha,  Mary 
Schaeffer,  Hilda 
Sheeran,  Mary 
Stauffer,  Loverah  J. 
Trumbore,  Florence  D. 
Van  Horn,  Nola 
Weaver,  Harriet 
Yeakel,  Pearl 


SECOND  SOPRANOS 


Barnes,  Bessie 
Baughman,  Mrs.  H.  C. 
Bechtel,  Mrs.  Joseph 
Becker,  Ruth 
Bergstresser,  Clemmie 
DeLong,  Lucy  C. 


Desh,  Lillian  E. 
Duffin,  Mary 
Faust,  Mrs.  Elsie 
Gallagher,  Mary  G. 
Heine,  Mrs.  Laurence 
Henry,  Harriet 


24  5 


APPENDIX 


Hess,  Mrs.  H.  H. 

Mitman,  Grace 

Hess,  Katie  E. 

Mitman,  Helen 

Huttel,  Mary 

Moyer,  Miriam  W. 

Jayne,  Eda 

Reed,  Mrs.  R.  F. 

Kramlich,  Mrs.  Florence 

Reichard,  Daisy  M. 

Laros,  Nellie 

Ruch,  Margaretta 

Levine,  Mrs.  S.  J. 

Smith,  Esther 

Marstellar,  Edith 

Stuber,  Beatrice 

Martenis,  Anna  I. 

Stuber,  Helen 

Miller,  Gertrude 

Wehr,  Mary 

Mitchell,  Mildred 

FIRST  ALTOS 

Ache,  Mrs.  Warren 

Lerch,  Anna  L. 

Bahnsen,  Martha  L. 

Lerch,  Lillian  I. 

Booth,  Mrs.  George  R. 

Lerch,  Louise  E 

Boyer, Cora 

MacNutt,  Mrs.  Barry 

Boyer,  Marian  E. 

Marcks,  Marjorie 

Carroll,  Clara 

Nolan,  Anna 

Christine,  Ella  E. 

Person,  Hattie 

Clift,  Mrs.  Carrie 

Pflueger,  Mary  C. 

Cranmer,  Mrs.  R.  S. 

Reiter,  Mrs.  H.  R. 

Eros,  Elizabeth 

Richey,  Margaret 

Forker,  Mrs.  Walter 

Romig,  Elizabeth  A. 

Groman,  Mrs.  W.  C. 

Shields,  Helen 

Hamilton,  Constance 

Speck,  Frances  E. 

Hamilton,  Mrs.  J.  T. 

Stauffer,  Edna 

Harwi,  Estella 

Wagner,  Mae  A. 

Hess,  Clara 

Weaver,  Elizabeth 

Hess,  Mary  L. 

Weber,  Mrs.  M.  H. 

Hesse,  Marie  H. 

Wiegand,  Mrs.  Burton  S. 

Hillman,  Mrs.  R.  R. 

SECOND  ALTOS 

Adams,  Helen  A. 

Huessy,  Henriette 

Barry,  Margaret 

Hummel,  Iva 

Blum,  Edith  J. 

Jarman,  Helen  P. 

Boyd,  Mrs.  Wm.  A. 

Jones,  Mrs.  E.  C. 

Crosland,  Louise 

Kistler,  Helen 

Danner,  Muriel 

Marstellar,  Estelle 

Desh,  Katharine 

Mixsell,  Lillian 

Doebele,  Helen 

Neff,  Hildah 

Haas,  Beatrice  A. 

Neuschaefer,  Edith  J.  H. 

Halliwell,  Mrs.  George  W. 

Ogburn,  Mrs.  J.  H. 

Hartz,  Mrs.  Emma  Y. 

Rebstock,  Beatrice 

Hertwig,  Mrs.  Harry  B.  J. 

Reinhard,  Annie  M. 

Huessy,  Anna  M. 

Rice,  Mrs.  J.  Fred 

246 


APPENDIX 


Rush,  Ruth  E. 

Schmid,  Hazel  I. 
Shanor,  Ethel  E. 
Sleath,  Mrs.  Herbert  S. 
Speck,  Beatrice 
Spinner,  Sarah  E. 
Starner,  Helen  M. 


Steely,  Anna  E. 
Strock,  Ada  E. 
Stuart,  Cecille 
Taylor,  Bessie  C. 
Thomas,  Mrs.  G.  T. 
Wolle,  Gretchen 


FIRST  TENORS 


Behringer,  William  H. 
Cooley,  Dr.  Arthur  S. 
De  Michelis,  Spartaco 
Hafleigh,  C.  G. 

Hagey,  Charles  R. 
Heisler,  J.  Roland 
Hess,  Herbert  H. 
James,  Clarence 
Jones,  Emrys 
Jones,  Lewis 


Kelly,  Harry  J. 

Levine,  Samuel  J. 
Miller,  N.  Lloyd 
Randall,  Paul  F. 
Robinson,  Rev.  James 
Rosenberry,  M.  Claude 
Sharer,  Anno  F. 
Sterner,  Warren  E. 
Wallace,  Edwin  E. 


SECOND  TENORS 


Ambrose,  Michael 
Bergstresser,  Titus  M. 
Brockman,  Charles  J. 
Erwin,  Dr.  Frank  H. 
Evans,  Sidney 
Frey,  J.  Mark 
Jones,  Richard 
Keenly,  Leroy 
Kichline,  John  E. 
Kline,  Arlan  Luther 
Kline,  Rev.  H.  C. 


Mack,  Clarence 
Nauman,  W.  Reiff 
Oberholtzer,  M.  G. 
Quier,  Walter  C. 
Rittenhouse,  W.  M. 
Sassaman,  Holt 
Snyder,  William 
Speck,  George 
Speck,  W.  Grant 
Yeager,  Edwin  S. 


FIRST  BASSES 


Bachman,  Howard  F. 
Bitting,  W.  Gerald 
Booth,  George  R. 

Carr,  William  A. 
Evans,  William 
Fatzinger,  Edgar 
Fehr,  Joseph  L. 

Gross,  William  H. 
Holton,  C.  R. 
Johnston,  Joseph 
Klein,  Prof.  Arthur  W. 
Laub,  Allen  V. 
Legrand,  Maurice 


Moyer,  R.  S. 

Nagle,  George 
Neff,  William  F. 
Peterson,  Axel 
Richards,  Dr.  J.  W. 
Rohs,  H.  W. 

Romig,  Daniel  S. 
Schupp,  Victor  H. 
Thaeler,  Abram  S. 
Tobias,  J.  Carroll 
Ward,  William 
Wiegand,  Burton  S. 
Wiegner,  Howard  J. 


247 


APPENDIX 


SECOND  BASSES 


Beam,  James 
Briggs,  William  M. 
Cope,  Robert  S. 

Crow,  Rev.  H.  I. 
Davenport,  Harold  R. 
Erb,  Russell  C. 

Fowle,  Charles  W. 
Frankenfield,  W.  O. 
Heitshu,  Samuel  P. 
Henshaw,  Samuel  M. 
Hillman,  R.  R. 
Kelley,  Paul 
Kleckner,  Robert  G. 
Lantz,  Edward  J. 
Ludwig,  Forrest 


Miller,  H.  B. 

Pomeroy,  David  Frederick,  jr. 
Raiguel,  Jackson  B. 

Schaller,  G.  H. 

Schmedle,  Arnold 
Seyfert,  Stanley  S. 

Shields,  Theo.  W. 

Spurrier,  William  E. 

Taylor,  Albert  J. 

Taylor,  Norris  R. 

Templin,  R.  C. 

Walters,  Harold  R. 

Wehr,  Warren 
Yeide,  Harry  E. 

Zerweck,  Clinton  F. 


McFate,  John  Earle 

Abbott,  C.  G.  (First  Tenor),  1914-T5-T6-T7. 

Ache,  Mrs.  Harry  (First  Alto),  1913. 

Ache,  Mrs.  Warren  (First  Alto),  1917-T8.  ( See  Blanche  Kichline.) 
Acker,  Isabel  (First  Soprano),  1912. 

Ackerman,  Sadie  (Second  Soprano),  1912-T3. 

Akins,  Gertrude  (First  Alto),  1903. 

Albright,  Mary  (Second  Alto),  1914. 

Allison,  Marjorie  (First  Soprano),  1905a. 

Ambrose,  Michael  (Second  Tenor),  I9i7-’i8. 

Amrhein,  Irving  (First  Bass),  1912. 

Andrews,  Marlin  O.  (First  Bass),  1913. 

Arner,  Mary  A.  (First  Soprano),  i90i-’03. 

Bachman,  Mrs.  B.  R.  (First  Alto),  1915. 

Bachman,  Dagmar  (Second  Alto),  I9i6-’i7. 

Bachman,  Goldie  (First  Alto),  1913—’  16. 

Bachman,  Howard  F.  (First  Bass),  I9I4-T5-T6-’i7-’i8. 

Bade,  W.  F.  (Second  Bass),  igoo-’oi. 

Bahnsen,  M.  L.  (First  Alto),  1916-T7-T8. 

Bailey,  H.  C.  (First  Tenor),  i90i-’o3. 

Bailey,  Isabel  (First  Soprano),  i90i-’03-’04-’05a-’05b. 

Bailey,  Lena  (First  Soprano),  igoo-’oi.  ( See  Mrs.  Joseph  Barrell.) 
Baker,  G.  M.  (First  Tenor),  1904. 

Barnes,  Elida  (Second  Soprano),  1913. 

Barnes,  Elizabeth  (Second  Soprano),  I9I5-’i6-T7-’i8. 

Barrell,  Mrs.  Joseph  (First  Soprano),  1903.  (See  Lena  Bailey.) 
Barres,  Ruth  (First  Soprano),  1913. 

Barry,  Margaret  (Second  Alto),  I9I7-’i8. 

Barthold,  Grace  (Second  Soprano),  I9i4-’i5-’i6. 

Barthold,  Laura  (Second  Soprano),  1914-T5-T6. 


248 


APPENDIX 


Bartley,  Bertha  A.  (First  Soprano),  1915. 

Barton,  Anabel  (First  Soprano),  1912. 

Barton,  Edith  M.  (First  Alto),  1912. 

Barton,  Russell  (First  Tenor),  1912. 

Baughman,  Mrs.  H.  C.  (Second  Soprano),  I912-’l3-’i8. 

Baum,  P.  Dorothy  (First  Soprano),  I9i2-’i3. 

Bean,  H.  D.  (First  Tenor),  1912-T3-T4-T5-T 6. 

Bechtel,  Mrs.  Joseph  (Second  Soprano),  1917-T8. 

Beckel,  Clarence  E.  (Second  Tenor),  1903. 

Becker,  Harry  (First  Bass),  1903. 

Beckhoefer,  F.  S.  (First  Tenor),  1912. 

Beckhoefer,  Frank  (Second  Bass),  1913. 

Beener,  Mrs.  Frank  (First  Alto),  1912.^ 

Behringer,  William  H.  (First  Tenor),  1917-’! 8. 

Beidler,  William  H.  (Second  Tenor),  i903-’04-,05a-,05b-’l2-,l3-’i4-,i5- 
T6. 

Beitel,  Anna  (First  Soprano),  I9i6-’i7~’i8. 

Bell,  Samuel  (First  Bass),  1917. 

Belling,  Caroline  (Second  Soprano),  i900-’0i-’03-’04-’05a-’05b-’l2-’i3~ 
T4-T5-T6-T7. 

Bender,  Elmer  J.  (Second  Tenor),  i903-’o4-’osa-’osb. 

Bender,  Mrs.  H.  F.  (First  Alto),  1912-T3-T4-T5. 

Bergstresser,  C.  (Second  Soprano),  1917-T8. 

Biehn,  Edna  (First  Soprano),  1915. 

Bird,  Robert  M.  (First  Bass),  i90i-’o3-’osb. 

Birk,  Franklin  P.  (Second  Bass),  1912-T3-’  14-’ i5-’i6-’l7. 

Bleyler,  Carrie  (Second  Soprano),  1913-T4-T5. 

Bobst,  Mrs.  W.  J.  (Second  Alto),  1913-T4-T5-T7. 

Bodder,  Wilford  (Second  Bass),  I905a-’05b. 

Bodine,  Alfred  V.  (First  Bass),  1912-T3-T5. 

Boehm,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  (First  Soprano),  i9i2-T3-’i4-’i5-T6-’i7-’i8. 
Boone,  Florence  E.  (First  Soprano),  I9i2-’i3.  ( See  Mrs.  W.  J.  Woodring.) 

Booth,  George  R.  (First  Bass),  1912-T3-T4-T5-T6-T7-T8. 

Booth,  Mrs.  George  R.  (First  Alto),  1916-T7-T8. 

Bower,  Frank  (First  Tenor),  i903-’o4-’o5a-’osb. 

Bowker,  Mrs.  Alice  (First  Soprano),  1913-T7. 

Boyer,  Cora  (First  Alto),  1912-T8. 

Boyer,  Culah  (First  Soprano),  I9i2-’i3-’i4-’i6. 

Boyer,  Elsie  (First  Soprano),  I9I7~T8. 

Boyer,  Katharine  (First  Soprano),  1917. 

Boyer,  Marion  E.  (First  Alto),  i9is-’i6-’l7-T8. 

Braucher,  W.  E.  (Second  Bass),  1914. 

Brendle,  Herman  (Second  Bass),  1917. 

Brickenstein,  Lucy  (First  Soprano),  i900-,0i-,03-,04-,05a-’05b-’i2-T3- 
T4-T5-T6-T7-T8. 

Brockman,  C.  Joseph  (Second  Tenor),  191 5— ’  16— *  17— ’  1 8. 

Brodhead,  Leonie  (First  Soprano),  1913. 

Brown,  A.  N.  (First  Tenor),  1903. 

Brown,  Blanche  (Second  Soprano),  1913. 

249 


APPENDIX 


Brown,  Charles  W.  (Second  Bass),  I905a-’05b. 

Brown,  Grace  H.  (First  Soprano),  I9i2-’i3. 

Brown,  Irvin  A.  (Second  Bass),  1913. 

Brunner,  Eugenia  (First  Alto),  I9i2-’i3-’i4-’i5. 

Brunner,  Gertrude  (Second  Alto),  1901. 

Brunner,  Henrietta  (Second  Soprano),  1913— ’15— ’16. 

Buckman,  Mrs.  Edw.  S.  (First  Soprano),  I9i2-’i3-’l4-,is-,i6-,l7-’i8. 
Bush,  Mrs.  Mae  K.  (First  Soprano),  1915-T6-T7-T8. 

Buss,  Albert  C.  (First  Tenor),  i9i2-’l3-T4-Ts-’l6-’i7. 

Butz,  Mrs.  C.  A.  (Second  Soprano),  1915. 

Caffrey,  E.  J.  (First  Bass),  I900-’oi-’o3-’o4. 

Canam,  Florence  (First  Soprano),  I9I2-T3-,I4-,I5-,i6-,I7-’i8. 

Canam,  Helen  (Second  Alto),  1913-T4-T5-T6. 

Canam,  Isabel  H.  (First  Soprano),  1912-T3-T4-  ’15— *16— ’17. 

Cassell,  Martha  (First  Soprano),  1912-T3. 

Catanach,  Royden  (First  Tenor),  1912. 

Cawley,  Leola  (First  Soprano),  I9I4-’i5-’i6-T7. 

Chandler,  Evelyn  (First  Alto),  I900-’oi-’o3.  (See  Mrs.  R.  R.  Hillman.) 
Chaplin,  Helen  (First  Soprano),  1912. 

Christian,  T.  W.  (First  Bass),  1916-T7. 

Christine,  Ella  E.  (First  Alto),  1913—’! 4—’ x 5— ’  1 6—’  1 7—’ x 8. 

Chubb,  Mrs.  Ralph  (Second  Alto),  1917. 

Clark,  F.  Earl  (First  Tenor),  I9i4-’i5.  (Boy  Choir,  1903.) 

Cleaver,  Mrs.  A.  N.  (First  Alto),  i900-’oi-,03-,04-’o5a-’osb-’i2-’l3-,i4- 
T5-T6-T7. 

Cleaver,  W.  G.  (Second  Bass),  1915— ’16- 
Clemens,  A.  W.  (Second  Bass),  I905a-’05b. 

Clewell,  Addie  (First  Alto),  i90i-’03-’04-’05a-’05b. 

Clewell,  Clarence  (First  Bass),  1900. 

Clewell,  Ray  (Second  Tenor),  igosa-’osb. 

Clift,  Mrs.  Carrie  (First  Alto),  I9i4-’i7-’i8. 

Coleman,  Gilbert  P.  (Second  Bass),  1903. 

Collins,  H.  R.  (First  Tenor),  1905a. 

Collins,  Laurence  E.  (Second  Tenor),  1915. 

Conlin,  F.  W.  (First  Bass),  1904. 

Cooley,  Arthur  S.  (First  Tenor),  I9I5-T6-’i7-’i8. 

Cope,  Mrs.  A.  L.  (First  Alto),  i904-’o5a-’o5b-T2. 

Cope,  Charles  H.  (First  Bass),  i9i2-T3-T4-Ts-T6-’i7. 

Cope,  Mabel  (First  Soprano),  i900-’oi-’o3-’o4-’o5a-’o5b. 

Cope,  Robert  (Second  Bass),  1917-T8. 

Corcoran,  Marion  (Second  Alto),  1917. 

Correll,  John  O.  (First  Tenor),  1903. 

Cox,  Edith  (Second  Soprano),  igosa-’osb. 

Cranmer,  Mrs.  R.  S.  (Second  Alto),  1917-T8. 

Crist,  George  J.  (First  Bass),  1900. 

Daily,  Edward  (First  Tenor),  i904-’o5a-’osb. 

Dech,  Emily  (First  Alto),  1904. 


25° 


APPENDIX 


Dech,  Lotta  E.  (First  Soprano),  i90i-’o3-’o4.. 

Deibert,  Helen  (First  Soprano),  1917-’! 8. 

DeLong,  Lucy  (Second  Soprano),  I9I2-,I3-’i4-,IS-,i6-’i7-’i8. 

Desh,  Katherine  (Second  Alto),  i904-’05a-’05b-’i2-’i3-’i4-’i5-’i6-’i7-’i8. 
Detterer,  Mrs.  Caroline  (First  Soprano),  i90i-’o3-’o4-’o5a-’o5b. 

Detterer,  M.  Pauline  (First  Soprano),  I9i2-’i3-’i4-’l5-’i6-’i7-’i8. 
Diefenderfer,  Addie  (First  Alto),  i90i-’03. 

Diefenderfer,  Alfred  J.  (First  Tenor),  i90i-’o3. 

Diefenderfer,  John  M.  (Second  Tenor),  i90i-’o3. 

Dietrich,  S.  W.  (First  Soprano),  1916-T7. 

Dippery,  J.  V.  (First  Tenor),  1915-17-18 
Doak,  Flora  (Second  Soprano),  1903. 

Doebele,  Helen  (Second  Alto),  I9i7-’i8. 

Doster,  Mrs.  W.  E.  (Second  Alto),  igoo-’oi-’osb. 

Doubs,  R.  M.  (Second  Tenor),  1914-’! 5. 

Dow,  Edna  E.  (First  Soprano),  1912. 

Drinker,  Ernesta  (Second  Soprano),  I9i2-’l3-’l4. 

Drumbore,  G.  (First  Soprano),  1912. 

Eberman,  R.  V.  K.  (First  Tenor),  1912-T3-14. 

Eckensberger,  M.  R.  (First  Tenor),  1912-T3. 

Eden,  Sylvia  A.  (Second  Alto),  I9is-’i6. 

Edwards,  Rhoda  (Second  Soprano),  1915. 

Eggert,  Louise  (First  Alto),  1912. 

Erb,  Russel  (Second  Bass),  1917-T8. 

Eros,  Elizabeth  (First  Alto),  1917-T8. 

Erwin,  Ethel  (First  Alto),  1912-T7. 

Erwin,  F.  H.  (First  Tenor),  I900-T3-’i5-’i6-,I7-’i8. 

Erwin,  Lydia  (First  Alto),  i904-’o5a-’osb. 

Erwin,  Margaret  (First  Soprano),  i900-’0i-’03-’04-’05a-’05b. 

Erwin,  Minnie  (Second  Soprano),  igoo-’oi. 

Estes,  Anna  (First  Soprano),  I9i2-’i3-,i4-’i5-’i6-’l8. 

Estes,  Marcia  (Second  Soprano),  1912-T3-T4-T5-T6. 

Estes,  William  L.  (First  Bass),  i904-’o5a-’o5b-T2-T3-’i4-’l5-’i6-’l7. 
Estes,  Mrs.  William  L.  (Second  Alto),  1903. 

Evans,  Katharine  (First  Soprano),  1912-T4-T5-T7-T8. 

Evans,  Sarah  (First  Alto),  1903. 

Evans,  William  (First  Bass),  1917-T8. 

Fahl,  Miss  S.  R.  (Second  Soprano),  1917. 

Farabaugh,  C.  L.  (First  Bass),  1914. 

Farquhar,  J.  Fred  (Second  Bass),  i90i-’03. 

Farquhar,  Miriam  (First  Alto),  l904-’05a-’05b. 

Farquhar,  Sara  (Second  Alto),  I900-T5-’i6. 

Finnie,  Mrs.  N.  H.  (First  Soprano),  1 904^05 a-’osb. 

Fisher,  L.  (First  Tenor),  1904. 

Flemming,  F.  (Second  Soprano),  1916. 

Fluck,  Ruth  (First  Alto),  1912-T3-T4. 

Foltz,  Mrs.  Arthur  (First  Soprano),  1917.  (See  Alice  Groman.) 


25l 


APPENDIX 


Forker,  Mrs.  Walter  (First  Alto),  1912-T3-T4-T5-T6-T7-T8. 

Fowle,  C.  W.  (Second  Bass),  I9I5-’i6-’i7-’i8. 

Fowle,  Mrs.  Claire  J.  (First  Soprano),  I9I5-’i6-’i7-’i8. 

Frampton,  J.  A.  (First  Bass),  1917. 

Francke,  Arthur  E.  (Second  Bass),  I905a-’05b. 

Frankland,  Mary  (First  Soprano),  1903. 

Franklin,  W.  S.  (Second  Tenor),  X900-,0l-’03-,04-,05a-’05b-’i2-’l3-,i4- 
T5-T6. 

Frey,  J.  Mark  (Second  Tenor),  1917-T8. 

Frey,  Margaret  (Second  Alto),  1916. 

Fry,  Frank  M.  (Second  Bass),  1901. 

Fritchman,  Miss  C.  (First  Soprano),  1912. 

Fuenfstueck,  John  H.  (First  Bass),  i90i-’03-’04-,05a-,05b. 

Fuenfstueck,  Mary  (First  Alto),  i90i-’03-’04-’05a-’05b. 

Fuerstenow,  Matilda  (First  Soprano),  i904-’05a-’i3. 

Fuerstenow,  S.  A.  (First  Soprano),  I9I4-Ts-T6-’i7-’i8. 

Fulmer,  Elizabeth  (Second  Alto),  1917. 

Fulmer,  Mrs.  Joseph  (Second  Alto),  1904. 


Gallagher,  Mary  (Second  Soprano),  1917-T8. 

Garvin,  Harry  (Second  Bass),  1917. 

Geisenderfer,  Minnie  (First  Soprano),  1900. 

Geissinger,  Allah  (First  Soprano),  I9I2-’i3-T4-’i5-’i6. 

Geissinger,  Lilly  J.  (First  Soprano),  i903-’o4-’o5a-’o5b-’i2-’l3-’l4-’l5- 
T6-T7-T8. 

Glunt,  Mrs.  William  (First  Soprano),  1912. 

Gozzard,  Anna  (First  Soprano),  1917-T8. 

Graham,  Mrs.  A.  C.  (Second  Alto),  1913— ’14— ’15— ’16. 

Graham,  Katharine  (Second  Soprano),  1913. 

Gray,  Mrs.  Edward  F.  (Second  Alto),  i90i-’03-’04-’o5a-’osb-’i2-’i3-’i4- 
T5-T6-T  7. 

Gray,  Helen  (Second  Alto),  I9i2-’i3-’i4-’i5. 

Green,  E.  Jessie  (Second  Soprano),  i90i-,03-,04-’0Sa-,0Sb. 

Grim,  Florence  (Second  Alto),  1900. 

Groman,  Alice  (First  Soprano),  1915.  ( See  Mrs.  Arthur  Foltz.) 

Groman,  Harold  E.  (First  Bass),  1912-T3.  (Boy  Choir  1903). 

Grosh,  A.  S.  (Second  Tenor),  i900-’03. 

Grosh,  E.  Samuel  (Second  Tenor),  1903. 

Grube,  Amy  (First  Alto),  1917. 

Grube,  Pearl  (Second  Soprano),  1917. 

Grunert,  Gertrude  (First  Soprano),  1916. 

Gruver,  Laura  (First  Soprano),  1917. 

Hafleigh,  Charles  G.  (First  Tenor),  I9i5-’i7-’i8. 

Hafner,  Gertrude  (Second  Soprano),  ipoo-’oi. 

Hagey,  Charles  R.  (First  Tenor),  I9I5-’i6-T7-’i8. 

Hall,  Robert  (First  Tenor),  iposa-’osb. 

Halliwell,  George  W.  (First  Bass),  i903-,04-’osa-’osb. 


252 


APPENDIX 

Halliwell,  Mrs.  George  W.  (Second  Alto),  1912— *13— ’14— *15— *l6— *17— *i8.  ( See 
Elizabeth  Taylor.) 

Halliwell,  R.  D.  (Second  Bass),  1917.  ^ 

Hamilton,  Constance  (First  Alto),  I9I7~’i8. 

Hamilton,  Mrs.  J.  T.  (First  Alto),  1917— ’18. 

Hamm,  Frank  G.  (Second  Bass),  1917. 

Hammer,  S.  A.  Sten  (First  Bass),  i900-’03-',04-’05a-,05b. 

Hammes,  Anna  (First  Soprano),  1917. 

Harris,  Frank  B.  (First  Alto),  I9I5-’i6. 

Hart,  Lucy  (Second  Soprano),  1914. 

Hartman,  Edwin  S.  (Second  Bass),  1913-T4. 

Hartman,  Mrs  Edwin  S.  (Second  Soprano),  1913-T4. 

Hartzell,  P.  J.  (First  Bass),  1912-T3. 

Harwi,  Estelle  E.  (First  Alto),  i9i3-T5-’i6-’i7-’l8. 

Heath,  Edwin  J.  (Second  Tenor),  1903. 

Heckman,  Miriam  (First  Soprano),  I9i6-’i7. 

Heine,  Mrs.  Laurence  (Second  Soprano),  1912-T3-T4-T5-T6-T7-T8. 
Heine,  Robert  (Second  Bass),  1905a. 

Heisler,  J.  R.  (Second  Tenor),  i9i6-’i7-T8. 

Heitshu,  S.  P.  (Second  Bass),  i90i-’i7-T8. 

Heller,  Annie  L.  (Second  Soprano),  i90i-’03-’04-’05a. 

Heller,  Elizabeth  (Second  Soprano),  1901. 

Hemmerly,  L.  H.  (First  Bass),  1912. 

Hemsath,  Fred  (First  Bass),  1917. 

Hemsath,  Ruth  (Second  Soprano),  1917. 

Henry,  Harriet  (First  Soprano),  1915— ’  18. 

Henry,  Helen  (First  Soprano),  I9I5-T6-’i7-’i8. 

Henry,  Lilly  (Second  Alto),  1905b. 

Herbst,  Estella  (Second  Soprano),  1912. 

Hertwig,  Mrs.  H.  (First  Alto),  1917-T8. 

Hess,  Clara  (First  Alto), 

Hess,  Herbert  H.  (First  Tenor),  1915-T6-T7-T8. 

Hess,  Mrs.  Herbert  H.  (Second  Soprano),  I9i6;-T7-’i8. 

Hess,  Katie  E.  (Second  Soprano),  i9i3-T4-’i5-T6-T7-’i8. 

Hess,  Mrs.  Laura  L.  (First  Soprano),  i9i2-T3-T4-’i5-T6. 

Hess,  Mrs.  Lillian  B.  (First  Alto),  1913-T4-T5. 

Hess,  Mary  L.  (First  Alto),  I9I7-’i8. 

Hesse,  Marie  (First  Alto),  i904-’o5a-’o5b-’i2-T3- I4-’i5-’i6-’i7-’i8. 
Hillman,  R.  R.  (Second  Bass),  i900-’oi-’o3-T2-T3-T4-’i5-T6-T7-T8. 
Hillman,  Mrs.  R.  R.  (First  Alto),  i904-’o5a-’o5b-T2-T3-T4-T5-’i6-’i7- 
’l8.  ( See  Evelyn  Chandler.) 

Hoch,  Clara  E.  (First  Soprano),  i9i2-T3-’i4-’i5. 

Hoch,  Frank  G.  (Second  Bass),  1 904-^5 a-05b-’i2-’i 3. 

Hoch,  Helena  M.  (First  Alto),  I900-’o4-’o5a-’o5b-’i2. 

Holton,  Charles  R.  (First  Bass),  I9I7~’i8. 

Horne,  Frances  (Second  Soprano),  1917. 

Horne,  Viola  (Second  Soprano),  i9i5-T6-’i7. 

Hooper,  Ernest  E.  (First  Tenor),  I9i2-’l3. 

Huebner,  Robert  (First  Bass),  1901. 


253 


APPENDIX 


Huessy,  Anna  (First  Soprano),  I9i4-’i5-’i8. 

Huessy,  Henrietta  (First  Soprano),  I9i4-’i5-’l8. 

Huff,  Mrs.  A.  C.  (Second  Alto),  1913. 

Hughes,  Mrs.  Percy  (First  Alto),  I9i5~’i7. 

Hummel,  Iva  (Second  Alto),  1917-’!  8. 

Hunt,  George  A.  (Second  Tenor),  1916. 

Huth,  Helen  (First  Soprano),  I9i2-T7~’i8. 

Huttle,  Mary  (Second  Soprano),  1917-T8. 

Jacobs,  Nellie  M.  (Second  Alto),  I9i2-’i3-’l4. 

Jacobson,  Susie  (First  Soprano),  1912. 

Jacoby,  Lloyd  (First  Bass),  I9I5-’i6. 

Jacoby,  Mabel  M.  (First  Alto),  1912-T3. 

Jacoby,  Marion  (Second  Soprano),  1904. 

Jacoby,  Russel  H.  (Second  Bass),  1913. 

Jacoby,  Ruth  (First  Soprano),  1912. 

Jacoby,  T.  L.  (Second  Tenor),  1916-T7. 

James,  Howard  (First  Bass),  1913. 

James,  W.  T.  (First  Bass),  1917. 

Jarman,  Helen  (Second  Alto),  1917-T8. 

Jaxheimer,  C.  E.  (First  Soprano),  I9I2-’i6. 

Jayne,  Eda  (Second  Soprano),  1917-T8. 

Jeter,  E.  V.  (Second  Tenor),  1917. 

Johns,  Nettie  (Second  Soprano),  1903. 

Johnston,  Helen  (Second  Alto),  i904-’o$a. 

Johnston,  Jean  (First  Alto),  1912. 

Johnston,  Joseph  (First  Bass),  I9I3-T4-Ts-’i6-’i7-’i8. 

Johnston,  Martie  (Second  Alto),  i904-’osa. 

Johnstone,  M.  C.  (Second  Alto),  1916. 

Jones,  Annie  (First  Alto),  1901. 

Jones,  Grace  (First  Alto),  1912. 

Jones,  Lavinia  (Second  Alto),  1916. 

Jones,  William  D.  (Second  Bass),  I900-’oi-’o3. 

Keenly,  LeRoy  E.  (Second  Tenor),  1916-T7-T8. 

Keinard,  Elizabeth  (Second  Alto),  1913. 

Kelchner,  William  (First  Tenor),  1914-T5. 

Kelso,  Marguerite  (Second  Soprano),  1913. 

Kemmerer,  Mildred  (First  Alto),  1914-T7-T8. 

Kemper,  H.  E.  (First  Bass),  1914-T5. 

Kemper,  Laura  N.  (First  Soprano),  1914. 

Kepner,  Elsie  (First  Alto),  i904-’o5a-’o5b. 

Kern,  Edgar  A.  (First  Tenor),  1915. 

Kichline,  Asher  (Second  Bass),  1914. 

Kichline,  Blanche  (First  Alto),  1913-T4.  (Sei  Mrs.  Warren  Ache.) 
Kichline,  Grace  (First  Soprano),  1913-T6. 

Kichline,  John  E.  (First  Tenor),  i9i2-’i3-j’i4-’i5-T6-’i7-’i8. 
Kilpatrick,  F.  H.  (First  Tenor),  1912-T3-T4. 

Kilpatrick,  Mrs.  F.  H.  (First  Soprano),  1912-T3-T4. 

25  4 


APPENDIX 


Kilpatrick,  R.  A.  (First  Bass),  1912. 

Kingsley,  Mrs.  Rose  (Second  Alto),  I9i5-’i6. 

Kistler,  Helen  M.  (Second  Alto),  I9i6-’i7-’i8. 

Kitchel,  Harriet  T.  (Second  Soprano),  I9i2-’l3-‘,i4-’l5-,l6-’i7. 

Kitchel,  Margaret  S.  (Second  Soprano),  I9X2-’i3-,I4-’i5-,i6-’i7. 

Kleckner,  F.  V.  (First  Tenor),  igoo-’oi-k^-’osb. 

Kleckner,  Paul  L.  (Second  Bass),  1913. 

Klein,  Arthur  W.  (First  Bass),  I9I4-Ts-T6-,I7-,i8. 

Klein,  Mrs.  Arthur  W.  (First  Soprano),  1914. 

Kline,  Charlotte  (Second  Soprano),  1912. 

Kline,  H.  C.  (Second  Tenor),  1917-T8. 

Knapp,  Mrs.  Clara  (First  Soprano),  1  goo-’o  1-03 -’04-05 a-’o5b-’i2~T 3- 
T5-T6-T7-T8. 

Knapp,  Mary  (First  Soprano),  i9i2-T3-Ts-’i6-T7-’x8. 

Knappenberger,  Florence  (First  Soprano),  1915. 

Knappenberger,  M.  (Second  Alto),  1913-T4-T5. 

Knauss,  Charles  C.  (First  Tenor),  igoo-’ojb. 

Kneisler,  Martha  (Second  Alto),  1915-T6-T7. 

Knight,  Albert  (Second  Bass),  i9C>o-’oi-’o3. 

Koch,  A.  J.  (First  Soprano),  1912. 

Koch,  Roland  (First  Tenor),  1917. 

Krause,  Laura  (Second  Soprano),  i900-,0i-,03-,04-,0Sa-,05b. 

Kreidler,  Harold  W.  (Second  Bass),  1912. 

Kreisler,  Emma  (Second  Soprano),  i904-’osa-’osb. 

Kresge,  Ellen  P.  (First  Soprano),  i9i2-T3-T4-Ts-’l6-T7. 

Kresge,  W.  H.  (Second  Bass),  i903-’o4-’osa-’osb. 

Kuder,  Mary  (Second  Soprano),  1917. 

Kurtz,  J.  W.  (Second  Tenor),  1 9 1 4—’  1 5 . 

Laciar,  B.  E.  (Second  Bass),  1901. 

Laciar,  Mrs.  H.  J.  (First  Soprano),  1901. 

Landis,  Ada  Mae  (Second  Soprano),  1913. 

Landis,  Mary  K.  (First  Soprano),  I9i4-’i5-’i6-’i7-,i8. 

Lapsley,  Catharine  (First  Alto),  1913-T5. 

Laros,  Nellie  (Second  Soprano),  I9I7-’i8. 

La  Ross,  Hilda  (Second  Alto),  i904-’o5a-’o5b. 

Latta,  Lucille  (First  Soprano),  1912. 

Laub,  Allen  V.  (First  Bass),  1915-T6-T7-T8.  (Boy  choir.) 

Laub,  Mrs.  Allen  V.  (First  Soprano),  1916.  (See  Grace  Reiter.) 

Laubach,  E.  L.  (First  Tenor),  1912-T3. 

Laubach,  E.  P.  (First  Tenor),  i903-’04-,05a-,05b-T2-T3-T4-T5-T6. 
Laudenberger,  Evelyn  (First  Soprano),  i903-’o4-’o5a-’osb. 

Laury,  W.  Harold  (First  Tenor),  1912-T3-T4-T7. 

Lawall,  Helen  (Second  Soprano),  i90i-’03. 

Lees,  Joseph  (Second  Bass),  1914-T5. 

Lehman,  J.  George  (Second  Bass),  I900-’oi-’o3-’o4. 

Lehr,  Lola  B.  (Second  Soprano),  1916. 

Leibert,  Florence  (First  Soprano),  1914-T5. 

Leibert,  Mrs.  John  (First  Soprano),  1900. 

255 


APPENDIX 


Leibert,  Mrs.  Joseph,  Jr.  (Second  Alto),  1901. 

Leidich,  A.  LeRoy  (Second  Bass),  1913. 

Leidich,  Daisy  (First  Alto),  1915— ’16. 

Lennox,  Gertrude  (First  Soprano),  I9i2-’i4-’l5. 

Lennox,  Grace  (First  Soprano),  1915. 

Lennox,  Helen  (First  Alto),  1912. 

Lerch,  Anna  (First  Alto),  I9i7-’i8. 

Lerch,  Bertha  M.  (Second  Soprano),  1912. 

Lerch,  Lillian  (First  Alto),  1916-T7-T8. 

Lerch,  Louise  I.  (First  Alto),  1915-T6-T7-T8. 

Levering,  Gertrude  (First  Alto),  1  goo-’o  1  -’03 -’04-05 a-’o5  b-’  1 2-’  1 3  1 4- 
(Mrs.  R.  J.  Spencer),  1917. 

Levering,  Marion  (First  Alto),  i90i-’03-’04-’05a-’05b. 

Lewis,  J.  Sidney  (Second  Tenor),  1915-T6-T7. 

Lilly,  Adele  (Second  Alto),  i904-’o5a-’osb. 

Lilly,  Florence  (First  Soprano),  i9i4-’i5-T6-(Mrs.  W.  J.  Lynn),  1917. 
Lilly,  Katharine  (First  Alto),  i904-’osa-’o5b. 

Linderman,  Evelyn  (Second  Soprano),  1914-T5. 

Linderman,  Lucy  (Second  Soprano),  I9i2-’i4-’i5. 

Litch,  Sara  (First  Soprano),  1900. 

Lobach,  Olive  (First  Soprano),  I9C>o-’oi-’o3. 

Lochman,  Mrs.  C.  N.  (First  Alto),  i9O4-’o5a-’05b-’l2-’l4. 

Lochman,  Lucie  (First  Alto),  1912. 

Loux,  Harrison  V.  (First  Tenor),  I9C>o-’oi-’o3. 

Luch,  Myron  J.  (Second  Tenor),  i904-’o5a-’osb-T3-’i4-Ts-’i7. 

Luch,  Mrs.  M.  J.  (First  Soprano),  1913. 

Luckenbach,  A.  (First  Alto),  1912. 

Luckenbach,  Elizabeth  (Second  Soprano),  i90i-’o3-’o4-’osa-’osb. 
Luckenbach,  Jane  (Second  Alto),  1901. 

Luckenbach,  L.  J.  (First  Bass),  1912-T3. 

Luckhart,  I.  D.  (First  Soprano),  1917. 

Ludwig,  Forrest  (Second  Bass),  1917-T8. 

Lynn,  Eva  (Second  Soprano),  1904. 

Lynn,  Helen  (First  Alto),  1917. 

Lynn,  William  H.  (First  Bass),  I9i2-’i3-’i4-’i5-’i6-’i7. 

Mack,  Elmer  (First  Bass),  i904-’o5a-’osb. 

MacNutt,  Barry  (First  Bass),  1912-T5. 

MacNutt,  Mrs.  Barry  (First  Alto),  1912-T5-T6-T7-T8. 

Madsen,  Albert  A.  (Second  Bass),  1901. 

MaGuire,  Charles  H.  (First  Tenor),  1912. 

Marcks,  Majorie  (First  Alto),  1916-T7-T8. 

Marshall,  A.  P.  (First  Tenor),  i903-’o4-’o5a-’o5b. 

Marstellar,  Edith  E.  (Second  Alto),  I9I2-’i3-T4-T7-’i8. 

Marstellar,  Estella  B.  (First  Soprano),  1912-T3-T4-T7-T8. 

Martenis,  Anna  (First  Soprano),  I9i2-’i7-’i8. 

Martin,  C.  E.  (First  Bass),  i904-’o5a-’o5b. 

Martin,  Wallace  (First  Bass),  i903~’o4-’o5a-’o5b. 

Mauser,  Elsie  (First  Soprano),  1914-T5-T6-T7. 

256 


APPENDIX 


Maynes,  Katharine  (First  Soprano),  1 9 1 2—’ 1 3 — ’ 1 4—’ 1 5—’ 1 6—’ 1 7—’ 1 8. 

McCall,  Donald  G.  (First  Bass),  1913. 

McClellan,  B.  J.  (First  Tenor),  1903. 

McFate,  J.  E.  (Second  Bass),  I9I7-’i8. 

McIntyre,  Rose  (Second  Soprano),  1917. 

McKallip,  Marrie  (First  Soprano),  1903. 

McRae,  Mrs.  W.  D.  (Second  Alto),  1903. 

Mease,  Fred  (Second  Bass),  1905a. 

Meffan,  Elizabeth  A.  (Second  Alto),  I900-’oi-,03-,04-’o5a-,05b. 
Meglathery,  E.  H.  (First  Bass),  I900-’oi-’o3-’i2. 

Meinecke,  A.  L.  (First  Bass),  1912. 

Meinert,  Richard  (Second  Tenor),  i90i-’o3. 

Mentzell,  George  A.  (Second  Tenor),  1901. 

Mervine,  George  S.  (Second  Bass),  i904~’o5a-’o5b. 

Metzgar,  C.  H.  (First  Bass),  igi2~  1^-  14-  1  16-’ . 

Metzgar,  Edgar  (First  Tenor)  i903-’o4. 

Metzgar,  Mrs.  George  F.  (First  Soprano),  1900. 

Metzgar,  Mrs.  Malcolm  (First  Alto),  i904-’o5a-’osb. 

Meyers,  Faye  (First  Soprano),  1912. 

Meyers,  William  (Second  Bass),  1912-T3. 

Miksch,  Harriet  G.  (Second  Soprano),  i90i-’03-,04-’05a-’05b-’i2-,l3-’l4- 
T5-T6-T  7. 

Milchsack,  Mildred  (First  Soprano),  1912-T7-T8. 

Milchsack,  Pauline  A.  (First  Alto),  1912-T7. 

Miller,  Clara  (First  Soprano),  1914. 

Miller,  E.  Williamson  (Second  Tenor),  igoo-’oi. 

Miller,  H.  B.  (Second  Bass),  I9I7-’i8. 

Miller,  H.  P.  (Second  Bass),  1915. 

Miller,  Lloyd  (First  Tenor),  1915-’! 6-’ 17-’ 18. 

Miller,  Mrs.  Lloyd  (First  Soprano),  1917-T8. 

Miller,  P.  T.  (Second  Tenor),  1916. 

Mills,  O.  E.  (First  Tenor),  I9i6-’i7. 

Mitchell,  Hester  V.  (First  Soprano),  I9I2-’i3-T4-’i5-’i6-’i7-T8. 

Mitchell,  Mildred  (Second  Soprano),  I9i6-’i7-’i8. 

Mitchell,  Thomas  (Second  Tenor),  1900. 

Mitman,  Alice  (First  Soprano),  1912. 

Mitman,  Grace  Elizabeth  (Second  Soprano),  1917. 

Mitman,  Grace  Esther  (Second  Soprano),  I9I7-’i8. 

Mitman,  Helen  (Second  Soprano),  I9I2-T3-T4-’i5-T6-’i7-’i8. 

Mitman,  S.  U.  (First  Tenor),  i904-’o5a-’osb-’i2-’i3-T4-T5-’i6. 

Moore,  L.  D.  (Second  Tenor),  i904-’o5a-’osb. 

Morgan,  Charlotte  (First  Soprano),  igoo-’oi. 

Morgan,  Earl  L.  (Second  Bass),  1905a. 

Morgan,  Geneva  (Second  Soprano),  1913-T4. 

Morris,  John  T.  (Second  Bass),  I9i3-’i5. 

Mosebach,  F.  A.  (First  Tenor),  1912-T3. 

Moser,  Maude  (First  Alto),  1914. 

Moyer,  Miriam  W.  (Second  Soprano),  i9i2-T3-’i4-T5-T6-T7~T8. 

Moyer,  R.  S.  (First  Bass),  I9I7-’i8. 

257 


APPENDIX 


Mueller,  Sigmund  (First  Bass),  1912. 

Murphy,  Mrs.  C.  L.  (First  Soprano),  1912.  (See  Florence  Shields.) 

Myers,  Emily  (First  Alto),  1900. 

Myers,  Helen  (Second  Alto),  1901. 

Nagle,  Edna  (Second  Soprano),  1915. 

Neisser,  Mary  L.  (First  Soprano),  I9i2-’l3-’l4-’i5-,i6-’l7. 

Neuman,  Lillie  (First  Soprano),  1901. 

Neuschaefer,  Edith  (Second  Alto),  1915. 

Newhard,  Mabel  (First  Soprano),  1904. 

Newhard,  Nelson  J.  (Second  Tenor),  1 904~’o5 a-’05  b-’  1 2-’  1 3 . 

Nicholas,  Agnes  (Second  Alto),  igoo-’oi. 

Nolan,  Anna  (First  Alto),  I9I7-’i8. 

Nolf,  Nellie  A.  (First  Alto),  1912. 

Noll,  Frances  (First  Alto),  1913. 

Nonamaker,  H.  (First  Soprano),  1912. 

Norton,  Mrs.  D.  J.  (First  Soprano),  I9i2-’l3-’l4. 

Nuss,  Bertha  (First  Soprano),  1913. 

Oberrender,  Mrs.  George  (First  Alto),  1913. 

Ogburn,  Mrs.  J.  H.  (Second  Alto),  I9I3-T4-’i5-’i6-’I7-’i8. 

Peck,  E.  J.  (First  Bass),  1901. 

Penniman,  Caroline  (Second  Soprano),  I9i2-’i3. 

Perrin,  M.  C.  (Second  Alto),  1912. 

Person,  Hattie  (First  Alto),  1914-T5-T6-T7-T8. 

Peysert,  Letitia  (Second  Soprano),  1914. 

Pflueger,  Mary  C.  (First  Alto),  1912-T3-T5-T6-T7-T8. 

Pharo,  Karl  (Second  Bass),  1913-T4-T5-T6-T7-T8. 

Pickslay,  W.  W.  (Second  Bass),  1916. 

Platt,  J.  E.  (First  Bass),  1912. 

Pollard,  H.  K.  (First  Tenor),  1903. 

Potter,  James  (First  Bass),  1914-T5. 

Prince,  Florence  (Second  Alto),  1904. 

Prince,  Melinda  (Second  Alto),  1901. 

Randall,  Paul  (First  Tenor),  I9i6-’i7-’i8. 

Rau,  Albert  G.  (Second  Tenor),  i90i-’03-’04-’05a-’05b. 

Read,  Katharine  (First  Soprano),  1917-T8. 

Rebstock,  Beatrice  (Second  Alto), 

Reed,  Mrs.  R.  F.  (Second  Soprano),  1917-T8. 

Reeder,  Hilah,  K.  W.  (First  Alto),  1915-T6. 

Regestein,  E.  A.  (Second  Tenor),  1903. 

Reichard,  Daisy  (Second  Soprano),  1912- 13-14.-15- i6~’ 17- l&. 

Reichel,  Mary  (First  Soprano),  i900-’0i-’03-’04-’05a. 

Reiner,  Annie  E.  (First  Alto),  i905a-’05b-’i2-T3. 

Reinhard,  Annie  M.  (Second  Alto),  i900-’0i-’03-’04-’05a-’05b-T2-T3-T4- 
T5-T6-T7-T8. 

Reinke,  Theodore  (First  Bass),  igoo-’oi. 


APPENDIX 


Reinke,  W.  Bertrand  (Second  Bass),  I903~’04. 

Reisner,  Pauline  M.  (First  Soprano),  1917. 

Reiter,  Grace  (First  Soprano),  1915.  (See  Mrs.  Allen  Laub,  1916.) 

Reiter,  Mrs.  H.  R.  (First  Alto),  I9I7-’i8. 

Remely,  Viola  (Second  Alto),  1913-T4-T5. 

Reynolds,  E.  M.  (First  Soprano),  1916. 

Reynolds,  Miriam  (First  Alto),  1916. 

Rice,  Adele  (Second  Alto),  1912. 

Rice,  Mrs.  Fred  J.  (Second  Soprano),  1 900-’o  1  -’03 -’o4-’os a-’os b-’ 1 2-’  1 3 - 
,I4-’iS-’i6-’i7-’i8. 

Rice,  George  M.  (First  Bass),  1 903~’o4-’o5 a-’os b . 

Rice,  Mary  Ann  (First  Alto),  I900-’oi-’o3-,04-’osa-,05b. 

Rich,  E.  L.  (First  Bass),  1904. 

Richards,  Alfred  (Second  Tenor),  i904-’05a-’05b. 

Richards,  Joseph  W.  (First  Bass),  I900-’oi-’o3-,04-’o5a-’o5b-’l2-’l3-,l4- 
T5-T6-T7-T8. 

Richey,  Margaret  (First  Alto),  I9i6-’i7-’i8. 

Riegel,  Esther  (First  Soprano),  1912-13- 14.-15- 18. 

Riegel,  Mrs.  George  W.,  Jr.  (Second  Alto),  I900-’oi-’o3. 

Riegel,  Ida  J.  (Second  Alto),  l90i-’03. 

Riegel,  Laura  (Second  Alto),  i90i-’03. 

Rittenhouse,  William  M.  (Second  Tenor),  I9i5-’i6-’l7-’l8. 

Ritter,  Alice  (First  Soprano),  1912-T3-T4-T5-T6-T7. 

Ritter,  Annie  (Second  Alto),  1 903 -’o4~’o5 a-’05 b . 

Ritter,  Miss  F.  (First  Soprano),  1914. 

Ritter,  Mrs.  H.  B.  (First  Soprano),  1914. 

Roberts,  Percy  (Second  Tenor),  1917. 

Robinson,  Evelyn  (Second  Soprano),  1 904-^05 a-’osb. 

Roeder,  S.  G.  (Second  Tenor),  1917. 

Roemer,  E.  D.  (Second  Alto),  1916. 

Roest,  Dorothy  (First  Soprano),  1917. 

Roest,  Frances  (First  Alto),  1913. 

Rogers,  J.  H.  (First  Tenor),  1912. 

Rogers,  Mrs.  Lena  B.  (Second  Alto),  1913. 

Rohs,  H.  M.  (First  Bass),  I9I2-’i3-T4-T5-,i6-’i7-’i8. 

Rohs,  William  (First  Tenor),  I9I2-T3-T4-’i5-’i6-T7. 

Romig,  Dan  S.  (First  Bass),  1912-T3-T4-T5-T6-T7-T8. 

Romig,  Elizabeth  (First  Alto),  I9I5-’i6-T7-’i8. 

Rominger,  C.  H.  (Second  Tenor),  i903-’o5a-’o5b-’i4-’i6-’i7. 

Rominger,  Mrs.  C.  H.  (Second  Soprano),  I9I3-T4-’i5-’i6-’i7.  (See  M. 
J.  Steyers.) 

Ross,  Edith  (Second  Soprano),  1912. 

Ross,  R.  J.  (First  Bass),  1917. 

Roth,  B.  G.  (First  Tenor),  1901. 

Royer,  Charles  (Second  Bass),  1903. 

Ruch,  Margaretta  (Second  Soprano),  I9I5-T6-’i7-’i8. 

Ruth,  Charles  N.  (First  Bass),  I9i2-’i3. 

Ruth,  Leslie  (First  Tenor),  I9i2-’i4. 

Ryglewicz,  Edward  (First  Bass),  1916. 


259 


APPENDIX 


Sager,  Mildred  (Second  Alto),  I9i5-’i7. 

Samuels,  D.  G.  (Second  Tenor),  I900-’oi-’o5b. 

Schall,  Gertrude  (Second  Alto),  1901. 

Schantz,  F.  E.  (First  Soprano),  1916. 

Scheirer,  James  E.  (Second  Bass),  i9i3-T4-’l5-’l6. 

Schipke,  Margaret  (Second  Alto),  1913-T4. 

Schlegel,  Jacob  (Second  Bass),  1912. 

Schmedle,  Arnold  (Second  Bass),  I9i2-’i3-’i4-’i5-’l8. 

Schmehl,  Elda  (Second  Alto),  i905a-’o5b. 

Schmid,  Hazel  I.  (Second  Alto),  I9i6-’i7-’i8. 

Schmoyer,  H.  (Second  Tenor),  i9i4-’i5-’i6-T7. 

Schnabel,  Louis  (First  Bass),  1917. 

Schneck,  Florence  (First  Soprano),  1912. 

Schneebeli,  Mrs.  G.  A.  (Second  Alto),  1901. 

Scholl,  Emma  (First  Alto),  1912. 

Schrader,  E.  (First  Soprano),  1912. 

Schremple,  W.  A.  (First  Bass),  I9I2-’i3-T4-’i5-’i6-’i7. 

Schupp,  Fred  (First  Bass),  I90sa-’0sb-’i2-’i3-’i4-,i5-’i6-,l7. 

Schupp,  Granville  (Second  Tenor),  I905a-’05b. 

Schupp,  John  (First  Tenor),  1917. 

Schwab,  Elizabeth  (Second  Alto),  i900-,0i-’03-,04-’05a-’05b-T2-’l3-’i4- 
T5-T6-T7. 

Schwab,  Laura  (First  Soprano),  I900-’oi-’o3-’04-’05a-’05b. 

Schwab,  Robert  M.  (First  Bass),  I9i6-’i7- 

Schwartz,  Sara  A.  (Second  Soprano),  i90i-’04-’05b-’l2-’l3-’l4-’l5-’l6-’l7. 
Schwarze,  C.  T.  (First  Bass),  i904-’o5a-’osb. 

Schwarze,  W.  N.  (Second  Bass),  i904-’05a-’05b. 
deSchweinitz,  Dorothy  (Second  Alto),  1913. 

Schweitzer,  H.  S.  (First  Bass),  I900-’oi. 

Schweitzer,  Mrs.  H.  S.  (First  Alto),  I9co-’oi. 

Seifert,  Idella  (First  Alto),  1905b-’!  2-’ 14. 

Seip,  Mary  Barnes  (Second  Alto),  1900. 

Sellers,  E.  H.  (Second  Tenor),  1914. 

Settle,  Florence  (Second  Soprano),  i904-’osa-’o5b. 

Sevart,  Mrs.  Florence  (First  Soprano),  1917. 

Seyfert,  Stanley  S.  (Second  Bass),  i9i2-’i3-’i4-T5-,i6-,l7-,l8. 

Shanor,  Ethel  (Second  Alto),  I9I4-’is-T6-’i7-’i8. 

Shanor,  William  (First  Bass),  1917. 

Sharer,  Amno  (First  Tenor),  I9I7-’i8. 

Sheeran,  Mary  E.  (Second  Soprano),  1917-T8. 

Sheppard,  Jas.  H.  (First  Bass),  I9i2-’i3. 

Sherwood,  S.  Elmyra  (Second  Alto),  1900- ’01. 

Shields,  Florence  (First  Soprano),  igoo-’oi-k^-k^-’osa-k^b.  ( See  Mrs. 
C.  L.  Murphy,  1912.) 

Shields,  Gertrude  (First  Alto),  I905a-’05b-’i2-’i3-’i4. 

Shields,  Helen  (First  Alto),  i900-’oi-’o3-’o4-’o5a-’o5b-’i2-T4-’i5-’l7-’l8. 
Shields,  Mrs.  T.  E.  (First  Alto),  I9I2-T3-’i4-T5-’i6-T7. 

Shields,  Theo.  W.  (Second  Bass),  i903-’04-’05a-’05b-T2-’i3-T4-Ts-T6- 
T7-T8. 


260 


APPENDIX 


Shields,  Mrs.  Theo.  W.  (Second  Soprano),  igiz- 13-14.-1^- 
Shimer,  Katharine  (Second  Soprano),  i903-’04-’05a-’05b. 

Shimer,  M.  J.  (First  Bass),  I900-’oi-’o3-,04-,05a-,05b. 

Siebecker,  Carl  E.  (First  Bass),  1913. 

Sigafoos,  J.  H.  (Second  Bass),  1901. 

Silfies,  Mrs.  Lulu  (First  Soprano),  I9i2-’i3. 

Sleider,  E.  H.  (First  Bass),  1914. 

Sletor,  F.  A.  (First  Tenor),  1 904^05  a-’osb. 

Sloyer,  Ernest  T.  (First  Tenor),  1912. 

Smith,  Annie  (Second  Soprano),  igoo-’oi. 

Smith,  D.  A.  (Second  Soprano),  1914-T5. 

Smith,  G.  A.  (First  Tenor),  1913. 

Snyder,  Evelyn  (First  Soprano),  I9i2-’i3. 

Soderland,  Gustaf  (First  Tenor),  i905a-’osb. 

Spinner,  S.  E.  (Second  Alto),  I9I4-Ts-T6-’i7-'i8. 

Staats,  R.  W.  (First  Bass),  1915. 

Staeger,  Anna  (First  Soprano),  1912. 

Stauffer,  Edna  (First  Alto),  1917-T8. 

Stauffer,  Loverah  (First  Soprano),  I9I7-’i8. 

Stein,  Annie  E.  (Second  Soprano),  igoo-’oi -’03 -’o4-’os  a-’osb. 

Sterling,  F.  A.  (Second  Bass),  I900-’oi-’o3. 

Sterling,  Mrs.  Gilbert  (Second  Alto),  i904-’osa-’osb-’i2. 

Sterner,  W.  E.  (First  Tenor),  I9i6-’i7-’x8. 

Steyers,  Mary  J.  (Second  Soprano),  i905a-’osb-’i2.  ( See  Mrs.  C.  H.  Rom- 
inger.) 

Steyers,  William  E.  (First  Tenor),  I9i3-’i4-’i5-’i6-’i7. 

Stocker,  Mrs.  Mary  T.  (Second  Alto),  1915-T6-T7. 

Straub,  Homer  (Second  Bass),  1901-T4. 

Straub,  Mabel  (First  Soprano),  I9Cx>-’oi-’o3. 

Strauss,  Mary  (First  Alto),  1917. 

Strauss,  Rose  (First  Alto),  I9I3-’i4-Ts-’i6-T7. 

Stuart,  Cecille  (Second  Alto),  I9I4-T5-T6-Tt-’i8. 

Stuart,  Nellie  (Second  Alto),  1914. 

Stubblebine,  Gladys  (Second  Alto),  1917. 

Stuber,  Beatrice  (Second  Soprano),  I9i5-’i6-’i7-’i8. 

Stuber,  Helen  (Second  Soprano),  1914-T7-18. 

Suemper,  Emil  (First  Tenor),  igoo-’oi. 

Sullivan,  L.  N.  (First  Bass),  I900-’o4~’o5a-’osb. 

Swindells,  Nellie  (First  Soprano),  1 904-05 a-’osb. 

Swope,  Bruce  (Second  Bass),  1904-’ 05 a-’osb. 

Tacy,  William  (First  Tenor),  i904-’os  a-’osb. 

Tallon,  Bertha  H.  (Second  Soprano),  I9i2-’i3-’  14-’  15— *l6. 

Tallon,  Henrietta  (Second  Soprano),  i90Sa-’osb. 

Taylor,  Albert  (Second  Bass),  1913-T4-T5-T6-T7-T8. 

Taylor,  Elizabeth  (Second  Alto),  igoo-’oi- ’03 -’04-05  a-’osb.  (See  Mrs. 

Geo.  W.  Halliwell.) 

Taylor,  Mary  S.  (First  Soprano),  i903-’o4-’o5a-’osb-T2-’i3. 

Taylor,  Norris  (Second  Bass),  I9I3-T4-T5-’i6-’i7-T8. 

26l 


APPENDIX 


Teeple,  P.  M.  (First  Bass),  1914-T5. 

Tencate,  Florence  (Second  Soprano),  I9i2-’l3. 

Thaeler,  Abram  (First  Bass),  1917-T8. 

Thaeler,  Louise  (First  Alto),  I9i5-’i6-’i7. 

Thomas,  Hannah  (Second  Alto),  I9i3-,i4-’i5-’l7. 

Thomas,  Philip  (Second  Bass),  1912-T3-T4-T5-T6. 

Thomas,  Phyllis  (Second  Alto),  1913-T4. 

Thornton,  L.  S.  (Second  Bass),  1915. 

Thornton,  Marion  (First  Soprano),  1915. 

Tinges,  H.  B.  (Second  Bass),  1912. 

Tobias,  Carroll  (First  Bass),  1917-T8. 

Toohy,  J.  M.  (Second  Tenor),  19x4. 

Traeger,  Charles  H.  (Second  Tenor),  I900-’oi-’o3. 

Trembath,  W.  T.  (Second  Tenor),  igoo-’oi. 

Trumbauer,  H.  E.  (First  Soprano),  1914. 

Trumbore,  Florence  (First  Soprano),  I9i2-’i3-’i4-’l6-’l7->l8. 
Trumbore,  Mrs.  L.  F.  (Second  Soprano),  1901. 

Turner,  Eleanor  (Second  Soprano),  1915-T6-T7. 

Turner,  Marion  (Second  Soprano),  1915-T6-T7. 

Uhler,  Flora  C.  (Second  Soprano),  1912-T3-T4-T5-T6-T7. 
Uhler,  Florence  (First  Alto),  I9I4-’i5-’i6-T7. 

Uhler,  Miriam  K.  (Second  Soprano),  I9I2-T3-I4-’i5-’i6-T7. 
Ullman,  Katharine  (First  Soprano),  1914. 

Van  Dyke,  Ella  R.  (Second  Alto),  1912-T3-T4-T5. 

Van  Horn,  M.  Nola  (First  Soprano),  i9i2-’i3-’i4-Ts-,i6-’l7-T8. 
Van  Vleck,  T.  M.  (Second  Bass),  1912. 

Vernachi,  D.  Guida  (First  Tenor),  1917. 

YVaelchli,  India  (First  Alto),  1903. 

Wagner,  Evelyn  (Second  Alto),  1917. 

Wagner,  May  (First  Alto),  1917-T8. 

Waidner,  Edna  (Second  Soprano),  1914. 

Wakely,  Robert  (Second  Bass),  I9i6-’i7. 

Wallace,  Edwin  (First  Tenor),  1917-T8. 

Walter,  Charlotte  (First  Soprano),  1913— ’15. 

Walters,  Harold  (Second  Bass),  1917-T8. 

Walters,  Leonard  (First  Tenor),  i9i2-T3-’i4-’l7. 

Wralton,  Hilda  (First  Alto),  1915-T7. 

Warlow,  Mary  (First  Alto),  i903-’o4-’o5a. 

Wasser,  Mary  (Second  Soprano),  1917. 

Weaver,  C.  B.  (Second  Bass),  1912-T7. 

Weaver,  Cora  M.  (Second  Alto),  19x2. 

Weaver,  E.  (First  Alto),  I9i7-’i8. 

Weaver,  Harriet  (First  Soprano),  1917-T8. 

Weaver,  R.  W.  (Second  Bass),  1912. 

Weber,  Mrs.  George  (First  Alto),  i904-’osa-’o5b. 

Wehr,  Mary  (Second  Soprano),  1912-T4-T5-T6-T7-T8. 

262 


APPENDIX 


Wehr,  Warren  (Second  Bass),  1917— 8.  (Boy  Choir,  1913.) 

Weida,  Albert  (Second  Tenor),  igo^a-^b. 

Weiss,  E.  H.  E.  (First  Soprano),  1912. 

Weiss,  Elizabeth  (First  Alto),  1913. 

Weiss,  Minnie  (Second  Alto),  1901. 

Werst,  Mildred  (Second  Soprano),  1917. 

Wesco,  Minnie  (First  Soprano),  1900. 

Wettereau,  C.  H.  (First  Bass),  i9i4-T6-’l7. 

Whiteside,  Harold  (First  Bass),  1913. 

Whitman,  C.  H.  (First  Bass),  190 1-03 -’o4-’o5a-’osb. 

Whitmore,  B.  L.  (Second  Bass),  1912. 

Widman,  Mayme  (Second  Soprano),  1912. 

Wiegand,  Burton  (Second  Bass),  1917-T8. 

Wiegand,  Mrs.  Burton  (Second  Alto),  1917-T8. 

Wiegner,  Howard  J.  (First  Bass),  I900-’oi-’o3-’o4-,05a-’o5b-’l4-,is-’l6- 
T7-T8. 

Wiegner,  Mrs.  H.  J.  (First  Soprano),  i90i-’03-’04-’05b. 

Wiesenburg,  Rose  (First  Soprano),  1912-T3-T4-T5. 

Wilhelm,  Edw.  H.  (First  Tenor),  I900-’oi-’o3-T2-T3-’i4. 

Wilhelm,  Fred  H.  (Second  Tenor),  I900-’oi-’o3-’04-’o5a-’o5b-’l2-’l3. 
Williams,  Margaret  (Second  Soprano),  i90i-’o3. 

Wilson,  Bessie  G.  (First  Soprano),  i90i-,03-’04-,05a-,05b. 

Wilson,  Mrs.  Emma  (First  Alto),  1913. 

Wilson,  Etta  (First  Soprano),  1900. 

Wilson,  Mrs.  Winter  L.  (Second  Soprano),  I9i3-’i4. 

Wilt,  Bertha  A.  R.  (First  Soprano),  1912-13-  14-15-’  16. 

Wilt,  Warren,  (Second  Bass),  1914-T5. 

Winn,  E.  J.  (Second  Bass),  I905a-’05b. 

Withey,  Charles  H.  (First  Tenor),  1913-T4. 

Wolle,  Agnes  L.  (Second  Soprano),  1 900-’o  1  -’03 - ’o4-’os a-’o 5 b-’l 2-T 3 -T 4- 
T5-T6-T7. 

Wolle,  Gretchen  (Second  Alto),  I9I3-T4-’is-’i6-T7-’i8. 

Wolle,  J.  Samuel  (Second  Bass),  i900-’oi-’o3-’o4-’osa-’o5b-T2-T3-’i5. 
Woodring,  F.  A.  (Second  Soprano),  1914. 

Woodring,  Mrs.  W.  J.  (First  Soprano),  I9i4-’i6-’i7.  ( See  Florence  E. 
Boone.) 

Wunderling,  Carrie  H.  (Second  Soprano),  i900-’oi-’o3-’04-’osa-’o5b-’i2- 
’13- 

Wunderling,  Martha  H.  (Second  Soprano),  i900-’0i-’03-’04-’05a-’05b- 
*12. 

Wunderly,  Claire  (First  Soprano),  1917. 

Yeager,  Edward  S.  (Second  Tenor),  I9I3-T4-Ts-’i6-’i7-’i8. 

Yerkes,  Viola  (First  Soprano),  1900.  (See  Mrs.  H.  J.  Wiegner.) 

Yates,  W.  F.  S.  (First  Tenor),  1916-T7. 

Yohe,  Sara  (First  Alto),  I900-’oi-’o3. 

Young,  Helen  A.  (Second  Soprano),  i90i-’03-’04. 

Young,  Olga  M.  (Second  Soprano),  1912-T3. 

Yost,  Helen  (First  Soprano),  1913. 

263 


APPENDIX 

Zerweck,  Clinton  F.  (First  Bass),  I900-’oi-’o3-,04-’o5a-,05b-,i2-,l3-,i4- 
’15— ’16— ’17— ’18. 

Ziegenfuss,  Miriam  I.  (First  Soprano),  1912-T3. 

Ziegler,  Helen  (First  Soprano),  1916. 

Zimmerman,  W.  A.  (First  Tenor),  i903-’o4-’osa-’osb-T2. 


APPENDIX  B 


THE  WORKS  RENDERED  AND  THE  SOLOISTS 
The  following  list  contains  all  the  choral  works  of  Bach  sung 
by  the  Bethlehem  Choir  from  1900  to  1918,  with  the  dates 
and  places  of  rendition,  and  the  names  of  the  soloists. 

IN  MORAVIAN  CHURCH,  BETHLEHEM,  PENNSYLVANIA 

First  Bach  Festival,  March  27,  1900: 

“Mass  in  B  Minor.” 

Soloists,  Kathrin  Hilke,  Soprano. 

Lucy  A.  Brickenstein,  Soprano. 

Mrs.  W.  L.  Estes,  Contralto. 

Nicholas  Douty,  Tenor. 

Arthur  Beresford,  Bass. 

Second  Bach  Festival,  May  23,  24,  25,  1901: 

May  23,  “Christmas  Oratorio.” 

Soloists,  Mrs.  Mary  Hissem  DeMoss,  Soprano. 

Lucy  A.  Brickenstein,  Soprano. 

Master  Earl  Heimpel,  Soprano. 

Gertrude  May  Stein,  Contralto. 

Evan  Williams,  Tenor. 

Joseph  S.  Baernstein,  Bass. 

May  24,  “The  Passion  of  Our  Lord  According  to  St.  Matthew.” 
Soloists,  Mrs.  Marie  Zimmerman,  Soprano. 

Gertrude  May  Stein,  Contralto. 

Ellison  Van  Hoose,  Tenor. 

Henri  G.  Scott,  Bass. 

Ericsson  Bushnell,  Bass. 

May  25,  “Mass  in  B  Minor.” 

Soloists,  Sara  Anderson,  Soprano. 

Gertrude  May  Stein,  Contralto. 

Nicholas  Douty,  Tenor. 

Arthur  Beresford,  Bass. 

Third  Bach  Festival,  May  11,  12,  13,  14,  15,  16,  1903: 

Monday  evening,  May  11: 

“Sleepers,  wake!  for  night  is  flying”; 

“Magnificat.” 

Soloists,  Effie  Stewart,  Soprano. 

Lucy  A.  Brickenstein,  Soprano. 

Marguerite  Hall,  Alto. 

John  Young,  Tenor. 

Herbert  Witherspoon,  Bass. 

265 


APPENDIX 


Tuesday  afternoon  and  evening,  May  12:  “Christmas  Oratorio.” 
Soloists,  Effie  Stewart,  Soprano. 

Lucy  A.  Brickenstein,  Soprano. 

Marguerite  Hall,  Alto. 

Nicholas  Douty,  Tenor. 

Herbert  Witherspoon,  Bass. 

Wednesday  evening,  May  13: 

Second  Brandenburg  Concerto  Grosso; 

“Strike,  oh,  strike,  long-looked-for  hour”  (Alto  voice); 

“I  with  my  cross-staff  gladly  wander”  (Bass  voice). 

Soloists,  Marguerite  Hall,  Alto. 

Julian  Walker,  Bass. 

Thursday  afternoon  and  evening,  May  14: 

“The  Passion  of  Our  Lord  according  to  St.  Matthew.” 

Soloists,  Mrs.  Mary  Hissem  DeMoss,  Soprano. 

Mrs.  Gertrude  May  Stein,  Contralto. 

Julian  Walker,  Bass. 

Herbert  Witherspoon,  Bass. 

Friday  evening,  May  15: 

“The  Heavens  laugh,  the  Earth  itself  rejoices”; 

“God  goeth  up  with  shouting.” 

Soloists,  Rebecca  MacKenzie,  Soprano. 

Mrs.  W.  L.  Estes,  Alto. 

Theodore  Van  Yorx,  Tenor. 

'Julian  Walker,  Bass. 

Saturday  afternoon  and  evening,  May  16: 

“Mass  in  B  Minor.” 

Soloists,  Mrs.  Marie  Zimmerman,  Soprano. 

Mrs.  Gertrude  May  Stein,  Alto. 

Theodore  Van  Yorx,  Tenor. 

Julian  Walker,  Bass. 


The  Bach  Cycle:  December,  1904,  April,  1905,  and  June,  1905: 
Christmas  (Fourth)  Festival,  December  28,  29,  30,  1904: 
Wednesday  afternoon,  December  28: 

“How  brightly  shines  the  Morning  Star”; 

“Magnificat.” 

Soloists,  Mrs.  Marie  K.  Zimmerman,  Soprano. 

Lucy  A.  Brickenstein,  Soprano. 

Marguerite  Hall,  Contralto. 

Nicholas  Douty,  Tenor. 

Julian  Walker,  Bass. 

Wednesday  evening: 

“Christmas  Oratorio,”  Parts  I  and  II. 

Soloists,  Master  John  Eckroth,  Soprano. 

Marguerite  Hall,  Contralto. 

Nicholas  Douty,  Tenor. 

Julian  Walker,  Bass. 


APPENDIX 


Thursday  afternoon,  December  29: 

“O  Jesus  Christ,  light  of  my  life”; 

“The  Lord  is  a  sun  and  shield.” 

Soloists,  Mrs.  Marie  K.  Zimmerman,  Soprano. 
Marguerite  Hall,  Contralto. 

Julian  Walker,  Bass. 

Thursday  evening: 

“Christmas  Oratorio,”  Parts  III  and  IV. 

Soloists,  Mrs.  Marie  K.  Zimmerman,  Soprano. 
Lucy  A.  Brickenstein,  Soprano. 
Marguerite  Hall,  Contralto. 

Edward  P.  Johnson,  Tenor. 

Julian  Walker,  Bass. 

Friday  afternoon,  December  30: 

“Suite  in  B  Minor”; 

“Sing  ye  to  the  Lord  a  new-made  song.” 

Second  Brandenburg  Concerto. 

Friday  evening: 

“Christmas  Oratorio,”  Parts  V  and  VI. 

Soloists,  Mrs.  Marie  K.  Zimmerman,  Soprano. 
Marguerite  Hall,  Contralto. 

Edward  P.  Johnson,  Tenor. 

Howard  J.  Wiegner,  Bass. 

Julian  Walker,  Bass. 

Lenten  (Fifth)  Bach  Festival,  April  12,  13,  14,  190s: 
Wednesday  afternoon,  April  12: 

“Jesus  sleeps,  what  hope  remaineth?” 

“The  Solemn  Moment  is  Impending.” 

Soloists,  Lucy  A.  Brickenstein,  Soprano. 

Mrs.  Gertrude  Stein-Bailey,  Contralto. 
Nicholas  Douty,  Tenor. 

Julian  Walker,  Bass. 

Wednesday  evening: 

“I  with  my  cross-staff  gladly  wander”; 

“Strike,  oh,  strike,  long-looked-for  hour”; 

“There  is  nought  of  soundness  within  my  body.” 
Soloists,  Mrs.  John  Leibert,  Soprano. 

Mrs.  Gertrude  Stein-Bailey,  Contralto. 
Nicholas  Douty,  Tenor. 

Julian  Walker,  Bass. 

Thursday  afternoon  and  evening,  April  13: 

“The  Passion  of  Our  Lord  according  to  St.  John.” 
Soloists,  Mrs.  Mary  Hissem  DeMoss,  Soprano. 
Lucy  A.  Brickenstein,  Soprano. 

Mrs.  Gertrude  Stein-Bailey,  Contralto. 
Nicholas  Douty,  Tenor. 

The  Rev.  S.  U.  Mitman,  D.D.,  Tenor. 
Elmer  J.  Bender,  Tenor. 

Julian  Walker,  Bass. 

267 


APPENDIX 


Howard  J.  Wiegner,  Bass. 

J.  Samuel  Wolle,  Bass. 

Friday  afternoon,  April  14: 

“He  who  relies  on  God’s  compassion”; 

“My  spirit  was  in  heaviness.” 

Soloists,  Mrs.  Mary  Hissem  DeMoss,  Soprano. 

Mrs.  Gertrude  Stein-Bailey,  Contralto. 
Nicholas  Douty,  Tenor. 

Julian  Walker,  Bass. 

Friday  evening: 

“Jesu,  Priceless  treasure”; 

Tombeau:  “Ode  of  Mourning.” 

Soloists,  Mrs.  Mary  Hissem  DeMoss,  Soprano. 

Mrs.  Gertrude  Stein-Bailey,  Contralto. 
Nicholas  Douty,  Tenor. 

Julian  Walker,  Bass. 

Easter  and  Ascension  (Sixth)  Bach  Festival,  June  1,  2,  3 
Thursday  afternoon,  June  1: 

“The  Heavens  laugh,  the  Earth  itself  rejoices”; 
“Bide  with  us,  for  eve  is  drawing  onward.” 

Soloists,  Mrs.  John  Leibert,  Soprano. 

Mrs.  Harriet  Foster,  Contralto. 

Nicholas  Douty,  Tenor. 

Julian  Walker,  Bass. 

Howard  J.  Wiegner,  Bass. 

Thursday  evening: 

“Thou  Guide  of  Israel”; 

“God  goeth  up  with  shouting.” 

Soloists,  Mrs.  John  Leibert,  Soprano. 

Lucy  A.  Brickenstein,  Soprano. 

Mrs.  Harriet  Foster,  Contralto. 

Nicholas  Douty,  Tenor. 

Julian  Walker,  Bass. 

Friday  afternoon,  June  2: 

Third  Brandenburg  Concerto; 

“O  Light  Everlasting”; 

“Suite  in  D.” 

Soloists,  Marguerite  Hall,  Contralto. 

John  Young,  Tenor. 

Julian  Walker,  Bass. 

Friday  evening: 

“Now  hath  salvation  and  strength”; 

“Sleepers,  wake!  for  night  is  flying”; 

“A  stronghold  sure  our  God  remains.” 

Soloists,  Mrs.  Corrine  Rider-Kelsey,  Soprano. 
Marguerite  Hall,  Contralto. 

John  Young,  Tenor. 

Julian  Walker,  Bass. 


,  I9°5 


268 


APPENDIX 


Saturday  afternoon  and  evening,  June  3: 

“Mass  in  B  Minor.” 

Soloists,  Mrs.  Marie  Hissem  DeMoss,  Soprano. 

Mrs.  Gertrude  Stein-Bailey,  Contralto. 
Nicholas  Douty,  Tenor. 

Julian  Walker,  Bass. 


IN  PACKER  MEMORIAL  CHURCH,  LEHIGH  UNIVERSITY, 
BETHLEHEM,  PENNSYLVANIA 

Seventh  Bach  Festival,  May  31,  June  1,  1912: 

Friday  afternoon,  May  31: 

“It  is  enough”; 

“Christian,  stand  with  sword  in  hand”; 

Chorales. 

Friday  evening: 

“Soul,  array  thyself  with  gladness”; 

“Strike,  oh,  strike,  long-looked-for  hour”; 

Chorales. 

Saturday  afternoon  and  evening,  June  1 : 

“Mass  in  B  Minor.” 

Soloists,  Mrs.  Mary  Hissem  DeMoss,  Soprano. 

Mrs.  Gertrude  Stein-Bailey,  Contralto. 

Nicholas  Douty,  Tenor. 

Frank  Croxton,  Bass. 

Eighth  Bach  Festival,  May  30,  31,  1913: 

Friday  afternoon  and  evening,  May  30: 

“The  Passion  of  Our  Lord  according  to  St.  Matthew”; 

Part  I  —  afternoon  at  four  o’clock, 

Part  II  —  evening  at  eight  o’clock. 

Soloists,  Grace  Kerns,  Soprano. 

Mrs.  Florence  Mulford  Hunt,  Contralto. 

Nicholas  Douty,  Tenor. 

Horatio  Connell,  Bass. 

Edmund  A.  Jahn,  Bass. 

Saturday  afternoon  and  evening,  May  31: 

“Mass  in  B  Minor.” 

Soloists,  Grace  Kerns,  Soprano. 

Mrs.  Margaret  Adsit  Barrell,  Contralto. 

Nicholas  Douty,  Tenor. 

Horatio  Connell,  Bass. 

Ninth  Bach  Festival,  May  29,  30,  1914: 

Friday  afternoon,  May  29: 

“Sing  ye  to  the  Lord  a  new-made  song”; 

Second  Brandenburg  Concerto; 

Solos  and  Chorales.  • 


269 


APPENDIX 


Friday  evening: 

“In  billows  the  rivers  of  Belial  flowing”; 

“The  Heavens  laugh,  the  Earth  itself  rejoices”; 

“Triumph  now  is  mine”; 

“Pastoral  Symphony”; 

“Bide,  ye  angels,  bide  with  me”; 

“Magnificat.” 

Soloists,  Mrs.  Helen  Boice-Hunsicker,  Soprano. 

Lucy  A.  Brickenstein,  Soprano. 

Maude  Sproule,  Contralto. 

Nicholas  Douty,  Tenor. 

Horatio  Connell,  Bass. 

Saturday  afternoon  and  evening,  May  30: 

“Mass  in  B  Minor.” 

In  this,  the  seventh  rendition  of  the  “Mass”  by  the  Bach  Choir, 
the  solos,  for  the  first  time,  were  sung  by  all  the  members  of  the 
Chorus. 

Tenth  Bach  Festival,  May  28,  29,  1915: 

Friday  afternoon,  May  28: 

“The  Passion  of  Our  Lord  according  to  St.  John,”  Part  I; 

Second  Brandenburg  Concerto,  Second  Movement; 

“Strike,  oh,  strike,  long-looked-for  hour”; 

Chorales. 

Friday  evening: 

“The  Passion  of  our  Lord  according  to  St.  John,”  Part  II. 

Soloists,  Mrs.  Marie  Zimmerman,  Soprano. 

Lucy  A.  Brickenstein,  Soprano. 

Mrs.  Florence  Mulford  Hunt,  Contralto. 

Nicholas  Douty,  Tenor. 

William  Steyers,  Tenor. 

John  E.  Kichline,  Tenor. 

Louis  Kreidler,  Bass. 

Frederick  Schupp,  Bass. 

Howard  J.  Wiegner,  Bass. 

Saturday  afternoon  and  evening,  May  29: 

“Mass  in  B  Minor.” 

Soloists,  Mrs.  Mary  Hissem  DeMoss,  Soprano. 

Mrs.  Gertrude  Stein-Bailey,  Contralto. 

Nicholas  Douty,  Tenor. 

Henri  Scott,  Bass. 

Eleventh  Bach  Festival,  May  26,  27,  1916: 

Friday  afternoon  and  evening,  May  26: 

“Christmas  Oratorio.” 

Soloists,  Marie  Stoddart,  Soprano. 

Lucy  A.  Brickenstein,  Soprano. 

Maude  Sproule,  Alto. 

Reed  Miller,  Tenor. 

Charles  T.  Tittmann,  Bass. 


27O 


APPENDIX 

Saturday  afternoon  and  evening,  May  27: 

“Mass  in  B  Minor.” 

Soloists,  Grace  Kerns,  Soprano. 

Christine  Miller,  Alto. 

Nicholas  Douty,  Tenor. 

Arthur  Herschmann,  Bass. 

Twelfth  Bach  Festival,  June  1,  2,  1917: 

Friday  afternoon,  June  1: 

“To  thee  He  hath  shown,  man,  the  right  way”; 
“The  spirit  also  helpeth  us”; 

“From  depths  of  woe  I  call  on  Thee”; 

“Watch  ye,  pray  ye.” 

Soloists,  Marie  Stoddart,  Soprano. 

Marie  Morrissey,  Alto. 

Nicholas  Douty,  Tenor. 

Charles  T.  Tittmann,  Bass. 

Friday  evening: 

“Give  the  hungry  man  thy  bread”; 

“Let  songs  of  rejoicing  be  raised”; 

“When  will  God  recall  my  spirit”; 

“Sing  to  the  Lord  a  glad  new  song.” 

Soloists,  Marie  Stoddart,  Soprano. 

Marie  Morrissey,  Alto. 

Nicholas  Douty,  Tenor. 

Charles  T.  Tittmann,  Bass. 

Saturday  afternoon  and  evening,  June  2: 

“Mass  in  B  Minor.” 

Soloists,  Mildred  Faas,  Soprano. 

Grace  Harden,  Alto. 

Nicholas  Douty,  Tenor. 

Louis  Kreidler,  Bass. 

Thirteenth  Bach  Festival,  May,  24,  25,  1918: 

Friday  afternoon,  May  24: 

“My  Spirit  was  in  heaviness”; 

“World,  farewell”; 

“Actus  Tragicus:  God’s  time  is  the  best”; 

“Now  shall  the  grace”; 

“O  joy,  to  know  that  Thou.”. 

Friday  evening: 

Tombeau:  “Ode  of  mourning”; 

“Magnificat”; 

“Glory  now  to  Thee  be  given”; 

Soloists,  Mildred  Faas,  Soprano. 

Emma  Roberts,  Alto. 

Nicholas  Douty,  Tenor. 

Charles  Trowbridge  Tittmann,  Bass. 

27I 


APPENDIX 

Saturday  afternoon  and  evening,  May  25 : 

“Mass  in  B  Minor.” 

Soloists,  Mae  Hotz,  Soprano. 

Merle  Alcock,  Alto. 

Nicholas  Douty,  Tenor. 

Charles  Trowbridge  Tittman,  Bass. 

IN  CARNEGIE  HALL,  NEW  YORK  CITY 
FIRST  CONCERT  WITH  THE  PHILHARMONIC  SOCIETY 
OF  NEW  YORK,  JANUARY  20,  1917 

Chorale  for  the  Christmas  Festival: 

“From  highest  heaven  to  earth  I  come.” 

Chorale  for  the  Feast  of  the  Annunciation: 

“How  brightly  shines  the  morning  star.” 

Choruses  from  the  “Mass  in  B  Minor”: 

“Gloria  in  excelsis  Deo”; 

“Et  incarnatus”; 

“Crucifixus”; 

“Et  Resurrexit.” 

Chorale  for  the  Sixteenth  Sunday  after  Trinity: 

“World,  farewell.” 

Chorale  for  the  Twenty-seventh  Sunday  after  Trinity: 

“Glory  now  to  Thee  be  given.” 

SECOND  CONCERT  WITH  THE  PHILHARMONIC  SOCIETY 
OF  NEW  YORK,  JANUARY  26,  1918 

“Kyrie  Eleison,”  from  the  “B  Minor  Mass.” 

Two  chorales,  from  the  Tombeau:  “Ode  of  mourning.” 
a.  “Thou  bliss  of  earliest  innocence.” 

*  b.  “Wake,  my  heart.” 

“Cum  Sancto  Spiritu  in  Gloria  DeiPatris,  Amen,”  from  the  “B  Minor 
Mass.” 

Chorus  and  chorale,  from  “When  will  God  recall  my  spirit?” 

“Sanctus  Dominus  Deus  Sabaoth,”  from  the  “B  Minor  Mass.” 

AT  CAMP  CRANE,  UNITED  STATES 
ARMY  AMBULANCE  SERVICE,  ALLENTOWN, 
PENNSYLVANIA,  FEBRUARY  10,  1918 

Carnegie  Hall  Programme  of  January  26  repeated. 

SOLOISTS 

Alcock,  Merle  (Alto),  1918. 

Anderson,  Sara  (Soprano),  1901. 

Baernstein,  Joseph  (Bass),  1901. 

Bailey,  Mrs.  Gertrude  Stein  (Contralto),  igosa-’osb-’n-’xd. 

272 


APPENDIX 


Barrell,  Mrs.  Margaret  Adsit  (Contralto),  1913. 

Bender,  Elmer  J.  (Tenor),  1905a. 

Beresford,  Arthur  (Bass),  1901. 

Boyce-Hunsicker,  Mrs.  Helen  (Soprano),  1914. 

Brickenstein,  Lucy  A.  (Soprano),  i900-’0i-’03-’04-’05a-’05l>-’i4-’i5-’i6. 
Bushnell,  Ericsson  (Bass),  1901. 

Connell,  Horatio  (Bass),  I9i3~’i4. 

Croxton,  Frank  (Bass),  1912. 

De  Moss,  Mrs.  Mary  Hissem  (Soprano),  igoi-^-’osa-’osb-’ia-’iS. 
Douty,  Nicholas  (Tenor),  i90O-,0i-,03-’04-’05a-’05b-T2-T3-’i4-’i5-T6 
T7-T8. 

Eckroth,  Master  John  (Soprano),  1904. 

Estes,  Mrs.  W.  L.  (Contralto),  i900-’03. 

Faas,  Mildred  (Soprano),  I9i7-’x8. 

Foster,  Harriet  (Contralto),  1905b. 

Hall,  Marguerite  (Contralto),  i903-’04~’05b. 

Harden,  Grace  (Alto),  1917. 

Heimpel,  Master  Earl  (Soprano),  1901. 

Herschmann,  Arthur  (Bass),  1916. 

Hilke,  Kathrin  (Soprano),  1900. 

Hotz,  Mae  (Soprano),  1918. 

Hunt,  Mrs.  Florence  Mulford  (Contralto),  1913 — ’15. 

Jahn,  Edmund  A.  (Bass),  1913. 

Johnson,  Edward  P.  (Tenor),  1904. 

Kerns,  Grace  (Soprano),  1913— *16. 

Kichline,  John  E.  (Tenor),  1915. 

Kreidler,  Louis  (Bass),  1915-T7. 

Leibert,  Mrs.  John  (Soprano),  I905a-’05b. 

Mackenzie,  Rebecca  (Soprano),  1903. 

Morrissey,  Marie  (Alto),  1917. 

Miller,  Christine  (Contralto),  1916. 

Miller,  Reed  (Tenor),  1916. 

Mitman,  S.  U.  (Tenor),  1905a. 

Rider-Kelsey,  Mrs.  Corinne  (Soprano),  1905b. 

Roberts,  Emma  (Alto),  1918. 

Schupp,  Fred  (Bass),  1915. 

Scott,  Henri  G.  (Bass),  I90i-’i5. 

Sproule,  Maude  (Contralto),  1914-T6. 

273 


APPENDIX 


Stein,  Gertrude  May  (Contralto),  i90i-’o3.  ( See  Mrs.  Gertrude  S.  Bailey.) 

Stewart,  Effie  (Soprano),  1913. 

Steyers,  William  (Tenor),  1915. 

Stoddart,  Marie  (Soprano),  I9i6-’i7. 

Tittman,  Charles  Trowbridge  (Bass),  1916— ’17— ’18. 

Van  Hoose,  Ellison  (Tenor),  1901. 

Van  Yorx,  Theodore  (Tenor),  1903. 

Walker,  Julian  (Bass),  i903-’o4-’o5a-’osb. 

Wiegner,  Howard  (Bass),  i904-’o5a-’o5b-Ts. 

Williams,  Evan  (Tenor),  1901. 

Witherspoon,  Herbert  (Bass),  1 903-’04-’05 a-’os b. 

Wolle,  J.  Samuel  (Bass),  1905a. 

Young,  John  (Tenor),  1903-05^ 

Zimmerman,  Mrs.  Marie  K.  (Soprano),  i90i-’03-’04-’i5. 


APPENDIX  C 


THE  MORAVIAN  TROMBONE  CHOIR.  The  following 
members  of  the  Trombone  Choir  of  the  Moravian  Church 
have  served  in  announcing  the  sessions  of  the  Festivals. 

MORAVIAN  TROMBONE  CHOIR,  1918 

SOPRANOS 

Bruch,  Earl  E.  Sigley,  Russell 

Kemper,  Hugh  Thaeler,  Abram  S. 

Leibert,  Joseph  M.  (President) 


ALTOS 

Leibert,  Augustus  H.  (Leader)  Sigley,  Spurgeon 

Miller,  William  G. 

TENORS 

Lehman,  J.  George  Myers,  Richmond  E. 

Miller,  Frank  P. 

BASSES 

Beckel,  Charles  F.  Rice,  Owen  R. 

Maynes,  Ruskin  Sigley,  George 

Miller,  Harry 

Barber,  Paul  W.  (Tenor),  1901. 

Beckel,  Charles  F.  (Bass),  i900-’oi-’o3-’o4-’o5a-’o5b-T2-T3-T4-T5- 
T6-T7. 

Bodder,  Raymond  (Bass),  1912-T4-T5-T6-T7. 

Bruch,  Earl  (Soprano),  1912-T3-T4-T5-T6-T7. 

Buss,  Alvin  W.  (Tenor),  igoo-’oi. 

Chapman,  Richard  (Tenor),  i90i-’o3. 

George,  Charles  M.  (Alto),  I900-’oi. 

Groman,  Edward  (Soprano),  i903-’o4-’o5a-’osb. 

Horn,  Walter  (Soprano),  igoo-’oi. 

Kemper,  Charles  (Soprano),  1915. 

Kemper,  Hugh  (Soprano),  1916-T7. 

275 


APPENDIX 

Lehman,  J.  George  (Tenor),  1 900-’oi-’o3-’o4-’o5 a-’oj b-’ 1 2-’ 1 3-’  1 4-’  1  5- 
’16-T7. 

Leibert,  Augustus  H.  (Alto),  igoo-’oi-k^-k^-k^a-’osb-’n-’n-’^-’is- 
’i6-T7. 

Leibert,  Joseph  M.  (Soprano),  1912-T3-T4-T5-T6-T7. 

Maynes,  Ruskin  (Tenor),  I9i4-’i5-’i6-’i7. 

Miller,  Frank  P.  (Tenor),  1917. 

Miller,  William  (Alto),  1914-T5-T6-T7. 

Mitman,  Erwin  (Tenor),  i904~’o5a-’o5b. 

Myers,  Frank  J.  (Bass),  i900-’0i-’03-’04-’05a-’05b. 

Neisser,  Charles  H.  (Soprano),  I900-’oi-’o3-,04-’o5a-,05b. 

Oerter,  Edmund  L.  (Soprano),  i90i-’03-’04-’05a-’05b. 

Rau,  Robert  (Soprano),  I90o-,oi-’o3-’o4-,osa-’o5b. 

Rauch,  Ambrose  (Soprano),  I900-’oi-’o3. 

Rice,  R.  Owen  (Tenor),  i9i2-’i3-’i4-’i5-T6-T7. 

Ross,  E.  E.  (Bass),  1905b. 

Shields,  Theodore  (Bass),  i90i-’o3-’o4-’o5a-’o5b. 

Sigley,  George  (Tenor),  i903-’o4-’o5a-o5b-T2-T4-T5-T6-T7. 

Sigley,  Russell  (Soprano),  1912-T3-T4-T5-T6-T7. 

Sigley,  Spurgeon  (Alto),  1912-T3-14-T5-T6-T 7. 

Thaeler,  Abram  S.  (Soprano), 

Wolle,  J.  Samuel  (Bass),  i900-’0X-’03-’04-’05a-’05b. 


APPENDIX  D 


THE  ORCHESTRA.  Members  of  the  Philadelphia  Or¬ 
chestra  who  furnished  the  accompaniment  at  the  1917  Bach 

Festival  at  Lehigh 

are  here  named.  Then  follows  a  list  of 

the  players,  largely  amateurs,  who  took  part  in  the  1900  to 
1905  Festivals  in  the  Central  Moravian  Church. 

PHILADELPHIA  ORCHESTRA  PLAYERS 

First  Violins 

Angeloty,  Louis 
Campowsky,  H. 

Carow,  Herman 

Cook,  Frederick  W. 

Cox,  Clarence 

Kihlman,  Carl 

Lorenz,  Alfred 

Meyer,  Paul 

Nowinski,  David 

Pfeiffer,  Walter 

Schmidt,  Emil  F. 

Van  den  Bemmt,  Hedda 

Witzemann,  John  K. 

Second  Violins 

Britt,  Roger 

Fasshauer,  Carl 

Carow,  Herman 

Fillsack,  Paul 

Chudnowsky,  J. 

Kresse,  Emil 

Cole,  Lucius 

Krueger,  Otto 

Cox,  Clarence 

Moret,  Albert 

Dubinsky,  David 

Tiedge,  Hans 

Violas 

Arkless,  William  Leon 

Haltenorth,  Erich 

Carow,  Hugo 

Keyser,  George  W. 

deClerck,  George 

Leman,  J.  W.  F. 

Engel,  Rudolph 

Hahl,  Emil 

Leventhal,  B.  F. 

Cellos 

Einhorn,  Bruno 

Schmidt,  William  A. 

Kenisel,  Carl 

Schott,  George  G. 

Basses 

Boehse,  L. 

Fasshauer,  John 

Cahan,  N. 

Torello,  A. 

2  77 


APPENDIX 


Flutes 


Fischer,  John  A. 

La  Monica,  Joseph 

Oboes  and  English  Horns 

Dupuis,  A. 
Henkelman,  P. 

Lotz,  John 

Raho,  Edward 
Raho,  Louis 

Bassoons 

Krueger,  Richard 

Mueller,  Herman 

Horn 

Homer,  Anton 

Trumpets 

Barnard,  B.  T. 
Heydorn,  A. 

Rivel,  T. 

Tympani 

Schwar,  Oscar 

Achenbach,  Fred  (Second  Violin),  1901. 

Addimando,  Mr.  (Oboe  and  Oboi  d’Amore),  1904. 
Arbogast,  Porter  B.  (First  Violin),  i90i-’o3-’o4-’c>5. 

Baab,  William  (Flute),  i90i-’04-’os. 

Badolett,  R.  (Flute),  1903. 

Barlieb,  Joseph  (Second  Violin),  1903. 

Barnes,  A.  P.  (First  Violin),  1905. 

Barone,  C.  (Flute),  1905. 

Bechtel,  Harold  (First  Violin),  i90i-’o3. 

Bertram,  Adloph  (Oboes  and  Oboi  d’Amore),  1903. 
Bodamer,  R.  (Trumpet),  1905. 

Buchman,  E.  L.  (Violoncello),  i90i-’03-’04-’05. 

Caum,  S.  L.  (Second  Violin),  i904~’o5. 

Christine,  Fred  (Double  Bass),  i904~’os. 

Clauder,  George  E.  (Violoncello),  i90i-’o3. 

Cohen,  N.  (Double  Bass),  1903. 

Converse,  Margaret  (Second  Violin),  1903. 

Donkel,  William  (Second  Violin),  1905. 

Doucet,  Alfred  (Oboe  and  Oboi  d’Amore),  i903-’04~’05. 
Dutschke,  C.  H.  A.  (French  Horn),  i903-’04. 

278 


APPENDIX 


Eichlein,  Edwin  (Viola),  1904. 

Eichler,  Henry  (Trumpet),  i90i-’04~’05. 

Eichlin,  Herbert  H.  (First  Violin),  i904~’o5. 

Erdman,  M.  O.  (Second  Violin),  i903-’04~’05. 

Ezerman,  D.  H.  (Violoncello),  i904-’o5. 

Fahrbach,  Harry  (First  Violin),  i90i-’03. 

Fasshauer,  John  (Double  Bass),  i90i-’03-’04-’05. 

Fehling,  H.  (Viola),  I904~’05* 

Feurstein,  Wm.  (Flute),  i904~’o5. 

Flack,  Adam  (Bassoon),  1901. 

Grossweiler,  Udo  (Violoncello),  1903. 

Grosh,  Arthur  (Violoncello),  I90i-’o3-’04-’o5. 

Grosh,  Herman  (Viola),  I903-’o4~’o5. 

Handke,  P.  (Trumpet),  1903. 

Hangen,  Edgar  (Violoncello),  i90i-’03. 

Hangen,  Florence  (Violoncello),  i90i-’03. 

Hansen,  Oscar  (Flute),  i90i-’03. 

Hart,  Orville  (Violoncello),  1901. 

Hartman,  William  F.  (Viola),  i90i-’o3-’o4-’o5. 

Hartzell,  Jacob  H.  (Second  Violin),  I90I-’o3-’o5. 

Hartzell,  John  (Second  Violin),  i904-’05. 

Hay,  Blanche  (Second  Violin),  1905. 

Helleberg,  H.  (Bassoon),  1903. 

Hennig,  Rudolph  (Violoncello),  i90i-’03. 

Heydorn,  August  (Trumpet),  i90i-’o3. 

Hildebrandt,  Christian  (Viola),  1901;  (Bassoon),  l903-’05. 
Hillyer,  Harry  (First  Violin),  1904. 

Hoffman,  E.  B.  (Second  Violin),  i90i-’03-’04-’05. 

Homer,  A.  (French  Horn),  1905. 

Hoppes,  R.  (Trumpet),  i90i-’04~’05. 

Hunsberger,  Charles  (Harp),  1905. 

Jones,  Barry  (Second  Violin),  1901. 

Kahn,  Albert  (Second  Violin),  i904~’o5. 

Kahn,  Isaac  M.  (Second  Violin),  i90i-’05. 

Kaum,  Stephen  (Violoncello),  1905. 

Kern,  Harry  E.  (Double  Bass),  1901. 

Koch,  Henry  (French  Horn),  i90i-’03. 

Koehler,  A.  (Trumpet),  1904. 

Kreiger,  Marcel  (First  Violin),  I90i-’o3-’o4-’o5. 

Krug,  August  (Viola),  1903. 

Kruger,  E.  (Bassoon),  1905b. 

Larchmuth,  Max  (English  Horn  and  Oboe),  I90I-’o3-’04-’o5. 
Lotz,  C.  (Double  Bass),  1903. 

Lotz,  John  (English  Horn),  1905. 


279 


APPENDIX 


Mac  Comsey,  B.  A.  (Viola),  i90i-’o3. 

Mackey  S.  (Double  Bass),  1903. 

Mathews,  Caroline  Myers  (First  Violin),  I901-’c>3. 

Metzgar,  Edgar  (First  Violin),  l90i-’03. 

Miller,  Frank  P.  (Second  Violin),  I903-’04~’o5. 

Miller,  John  (Second  Violin),  1901. 

Moll,  Lloyd  (Second  Violin),  I90X-’o3-’o4-’o5. 

Murphy,  Charlton  (First  Violin),  i90i-’o4. 

Olpp,  Robert  J.  (Viola),  I90i-’o3-’o4-’o5. 

Pettinos,  George  F.  (First  Violin),  i90i-’03-’04-’05. 

Pretz,  Godfrey  (Flute),  i90i-’03. 

Rau,  Dr.  Albert  G.  (Kettle  Drum),  1905. 

Riddle,  Celesti  (Second  Violin),  1903  —  (First  Violin),  l904-’c>5. 
Ritzke,  Arthur  (Clarionette),  1901. 

Roseberry,  Charles  (Second  Violin),  1901. 

Rossi,  M.  (Flute),  1903. 

Sauder,  Adolph  (English  Horn  and  Oboe),  l90l-’03-’04-’05. 
Schaibel,  John  (Viola),  i90i-’o5. 

Schalsha,  Fred  W.  (First  Violin),  i90l-’03. 

Schoner,  Carl  (Viola),  1903. 

Schoof,  L.  C.  (Oboe),  1901. 

Schubert,  E.  L.  (Second  Violin),  i90l-’os. 

Schubert,  L.  E.  (Double  Bass),  1901. 

Schwindt,  Louis  W.  (Second  Violin),  i903-’o4.  (Viola),  1905. 
Sefing,  C.  H.  (Double  Bass),  i90i-’o4-’os. 

Seip,  Carrie  (Second  Violin),  i904-’os. 

Sielke,  Leo  (First  Violin),  1905. 

Smith,  Arthur  (Second  Violin),  1901. 

Stobbe,  Martin  (Flute),  1901. 

Stobbe,  William  R.  (Kettle  Drum),  I90I-’o3-’04-’o5. 

Thiede,  Gustave  (Double  Bass),  1901. 

Thompson,  Marion  Shimer  (First  Violin),  i903~’04-’05. 

Trepte,  Arthur,  (Oboe  and  Oboi  d’Amore),  1901. 

Verdier,  Andre  (First  Violin),  1901. 

Waelchili,  Fannie  (Second  Violin),  1903. 

Wagner,  Frederick  (Trumpet),  i90i-’03-’04-’05. 

Wagner,  J.  H.  (Second  Violin),  1901. 

Waldo,  Miss  (Viola),  1904. 

Waldo,  Leonard  (Violoncello),  i904-’os. 

Weingartner,  A.  M.  (Second  Violin),  I90I-’o3-’o4-’o5. 
Weisenborn,  Henry  (Clarinet),  1901. 

Wells,  William  (Violoncello),  1905. 

Werkheiser,  W.  H.  (Viola),  I90I-’o3-’o4-’o5. 

Wilson,  Thomas  B.  (Viola),  1901. 

Wittich,  Otto  (First  Violin),  i90i-’03. 

Wood,  Raymond  (First  Violin),  i904-’os. 


APPENDIX  E 


OFFICERS  AND  COMMITTEES.  Lists  are  here  given 
of  the  Choir’s  officers,  members  of  the  executive  committee 
and  other  committees  of  the  Bach  Festivals,  I90o-’i8. 

Conductor:  — 

J.  Fred  Wolle,  1900-1918. 

President:  — 

R.  R.  Hillman,  igoo-’os. 

Henry  S.  Drinker,  I9ii-’i8. 

Vice-President:  — 

W.  S.  Franklin,  i900-’o5. 

George  R.  Booth,  I9ii-’i8. 

Corresponding  Secretary:  — 

Mrs.  W.  E.  Doster,  i9OO-’05. 

Frank  G.  Hoch,  I9ii-’i8. 

Recording  Secretary:  — 

Howard  J.  Wiegner,  i9C>o-’o5. 

Frank  G.  Hoch,  191 1— ’  18. 

Treasurer:  — 

M.  J.  Shimer,  I900-’o5. 

A.  N.  Cleaver,  I9ii-’i8. 

Librarian:  — 

Clinton  F.  Zerweck,  I900-’o3. 

W.  A.  Zimmerman,  i904~’o5. 

Executive  Committee:  — 

George  R.  Booth,  I9ii-’i8. 

A.  N.  Cleaver,  1911-18. 

J.  H.  Clewell,  1911-18. 

Henry  S.  Drinker,  I9H-’i8. 

Natt  M.  Emery,  I9I7-’i8. 

William  L.  Estes,  I9ii-’l8. 

Frank  G.  Hoch,  1911-T8. 

A.  C.  Huff,  X9i3-’i8. 

Joseph  W.  Richards,  I9I7-’i8. 

Charles  M.  Schwab,  I9I2-’i8. 

T.  Edgar  Shields,  1911-T8. 

M.  J.  Shimer,  1911-18. 

H.  S.  Snyder,  1913— ’18. 

Raymond  Walters,  1917— *  18. 

Warren  A.  Wilbur,  191 1— ’18. 


28l 


APPENDIX 


Membership  Committee  Chairman:  — 

Lucy  A.  Brickenstein,  i90O-’05. 

A.  G.  Levering,  I9ii-’i2. 

Mrs.  George  W.  Halliwell,  1913— ’  18. 

Publicity  Committee  Chairman:  — 

M.  J.  Shimer,  i90O-’03. 

Howard  J.  Wiegner,  i904-’os. 

Raymond  Walters,  I9U-’i8. 

Marie  H.  Hesse  (Distribution  of  circulars),  I9H-’i8. 
Programme  Committee  Chairman:  — 

W.  F.  Bade,  igoo-’oi. 

Clinton  F.  Zerweck,  I903~’04. 

W.  A.  Zimmerman,  1905. 

T.  Edgar  Shields,  I9ii-’i8. 

Reception  Committee  Chairman:  — 

F.  A.  Sterling,  ipoo-’oi. 

J.  George  Lehman,  i903-’oS. 

Accommodations  Committee  Chairman:  — 

Clinton  F.  Zerweck,  I900-’oi. 

Mrs.  E.  F.  Gray,  i903-’i3. 

A.  C.  Huff,  1914-T8. 

Ticket  Committee  Chairman:  — 

M.  J.  Shimer,  1911-T8. 

Chapel  Accommodation  Committee  Chairman:  — 

T.  Edgar  Shields,  1911-T8. 


INDEX 


INDEX 


Abbott,  Dr.  Lyman,  his  account  of 
the  1904  Festival,  78-80;  relates 
an  episode  of  the  1916  Festival,  93, 
94;  1 15;  his  report  on  the  1915  Fes¬ 
tival,  119;  133. 

Albrecht,  John  Andrew,  13. 

Aldrich,  Richard,  his  account  of  the 
1903  Festival,  69-71;  7a,  83-85, 96, 
100, 1 14;  report  of  the  1916  Festi¬ 
val,  130;  133;  on  the  1917  N.Y. 
concert,  155,  156. 

“American  Magazine,”  quoted,  14, 
15- 

Bach  Festivals,  First  Festival,  1900, 
50;  Second  Festival,  1901,  52; 
Third  Festival,  1903,  67;  Fourth 
Festival,  December,  1904,  76; 

Fifth  Festival,  April,  1905,  81; 
Sixth  Festival,  85;  discontinued, 
1905,  89;  resumed,  1912,  90;  Sev¬ 
enth  Festival,  1912,  96;  Eighth 
Festival,  1913,  103;  Ninth  Festi¬ 
val,  1914,  107;  Tenth  Festival, 
19x5,  1 14;  Eleventh  Festival,  1916, 
12 1 ;  Twelfth  Festival,  1917,  133; 
Thirteenth  Festival,  1918,  149; 
list  of  works  rendered,  265. 

Bach  festivals  in  Germany  and  in 
England,  49. 

Bach,  Johann  Sebastian,  49;  his  hu¬ 
man  quality,  122;  “Master  of 
Masters,”  123;  “a  German  whom 
Prussia  had  not  corrupted,”  134; 
“Bach  in  War-Time,”  143,  144; 
158,  183;  interpretation  of,  183— 
86;  fundamental  simplicity,  238; 
appreciation  of,  242. 

Bade,  Dr.  William  Frederic,  46,  204. 

Bagehot,  Walter,  quoted,  36. 

Bailey,  Gertrude  May  Stein,  63,  67, 
68,  75,  81,  82,  85,  88,  100,  108. 


Bartholomew,  I.  H.,  32. 

Bayreuth,  comparison  of  Bethlehem 
with,  59,  65,  121,  145. 

Beckel,  C.  F.,  28. 

Beethoven,  Ludwig  von,  “Mass  in 
C,”  30. 

Beethoven  Maennerchor  of  Bethle¬ 
hem,  32. 

Beresford,  Arthur,  50;  quoted,  51;  63. 

Bethlehem  Choral  Society,  31. 

Bethlehem  Choral  Union,  30;  organ¬ 
ization,  38;  gave  “Creation,”  1883, 
39;  “St.  John  Passion,”  1888,  40, 
41;  “St.  Matthew  Passion,”  1892, 
42,  43;  attempted  “B  Minor 
Mass,”  1892,  44;  organization  dis¬ 
continued,  44;  1 14,  235. 

“Bethlehem  Diary,”  3;  Singstunde  of 
1742,  4;  first  spinet  arrived,  1774, 
6;  love  feast  of  1745,  8;  service  at¬ 
tended  by  General  Washington, 
1 1 ;  by  Lady  Washington,  12. 

Bethlehem  Moravian  Church,  100th 
anniversary  of  cornerstone-laying, 
1903,67. 

Bethlehem  Philharmonic  Society, 
renditions  of  Haydn’s  “Seasons,” 
1834,  1835,  of  Loewe’s  “Seven 
Sleepers,”  1833,  21;  of  Neukomm’s 
“David,”  1834,  21;  organized  1820, 
24;  finances,  26;  concerts,  1821- 
1839,  27;  oratorios  sung  after  1869, 
30;  discontinued  in  late  eighties, 
30;  38. 

Bethlehem  School  of  Music,  32. 

Bethlehem  Steel  Company  Band, 
34,  35,  100. 

Booth,  George  R.,  205,  210. 

“Boston  Evening  Transcript,”  quot¬ 
ed,  74,  92,  128,  239. 

Boston  Handel  and  Haydn  Society, 
“History”  quoted,  22. 


285 


INDEX 


Brickenstein,  Lucy  A.,  45,  46,  50,  63, 
68,  78,  81,  87,  in,  113,  124,  127, 
131,  203,  215. 

“Brooklyn  Citizen,”  quoted,  167. 

“Brooklyn  Eagle,”  quoted,  132. 

Brooks,  Rev.  W.  E.,  quoted,  143, 
144. 

“Buffalo  Express,”  quoted,  76. 

Burton,  Frederick  R.,  quoted,  74. 

Butler,  Samuel,  quoted,  237. 

Cecilia  Society  of  Boston,  50,  51. 

Chamberlin,  E.  V.,  quoted,  120. 

Choral  Society  of  Philadelphia,  50. 

“  Christian  Science  Monitor,”  quoted, 
133,  135,  222. 

“Christian  Work,”  quoted,  143,  144. 

Christmas  celebration  at  Bethlehem, 
14,  IS.  79- 

“Christmas  Oratorio,”  character  and 
genesis  of,  53,  56;  difficulties,  59; 
60,  89,  122,  126-30,  242. 

“Church  Memorials,”  6. 

“Church  Standard,”  quoted,  75,  203. 

Cincinnati  May  Festival,  50,  55,  240. 

“Cincinnati  Times-Star,”  quoted, 
82,  83. 

Cleaver,  Albert  N.,  service  in  reor¬ 
ganizing  the  Bach  Choir,  91;  205; 
sketch  of,  209,  210,  216. 

Cleaver,  Mrs.  Albert  N.,  initiative 
in  reorganizing  the  Bach  Choir,  91; 
205,  215. 

Clewell,  Dr.  John  H.,  94,  205,  211, 
216. 

Collegium  Musicum,  first  formal 
musical  group,  1744,  5, 9;  concerts, 
1807-1819,  23;  reorganized  as 

Philharmonic  Society,  1820,  24,  26, 

I71. 

Community  aspect  of  the  Bethlehem 
Bach  Choir,  80,  148,  151,  153,  164, 
222,  223,  226,  231,  232. 

Comstock,  F.  H.,  quoted,  51. 

Connell,  Horatio,  103,  no,  III. 

Day,  H.  Brooks,  quoted,  75. 

Discipline  of  the  Bach  Choir,  223, 
224. 


Doster,  Mrs.  W.  E.,  44,  45,  46,  204. 

Douty,  Nicholas,  tenor  at  every 
Bethlehem  Bach  Festival  to  date, 
50;  63,  68,  74,  78,  85-88,  99,  103, 
106,  no,  in,  113,  117,  124,  132, 
14 1,  149- 

Drinker,  Dr.  Henry  S.,  President  of 
Lehigh  University  and  of  the  Bach 
Choir,  29,  93,  94,  133,  148,  161, 
188,  199,  205;  sketch  of,  209,  216. 

“Dwight’s  Journal  of  Music,” 
quoted,  28. 

Elson,  Louis  C.,  his  “History  of 
American  Music”  quoted,  19. 

Emery,  Dr.  N.  M.,  214,  216. 

Estes,  Dr.  W.  L.,  205,  212. 

Estes,  Mrs.  W.  L.,  42,  50,  63,  69, 
212. 

Executive  Committee  of  Bethlehem 
Bach  Choir,  151,  161,  202. 

Finances  of  Bethlehem  Bach  Choir, 
207,  208,  228. 

Finck,  Henry  T.,  on  importance  of 
the  Bethlehem  Festivals,  118;  cor¬ 
respondence  on  the  1916  Festival, 
121-24;  133;  on  the  1917  Festival, 
138-40;  on  the  human  quality  of 
Bach,  122,  158;  on  the  1917  N.Y. 
concert,  153;  defense  of  Dr.  Wolle’s 
readings,  185,  186;  190,  192,  237. 

Franklin,  Benjamin,  “Autobio¬ 
graphy”  and  letter  references  to 
Bethlehem  music,  9. 

Franklin,  Dr.  W.  S.,  46,  203,  216. 

Goepp,  Philip  H.,  “Annals  of  Music 
in  Philadelphia”  quoted,  10,  19, 
20;  letter  quoted,  20;  report  of 
1915  Festival,  1 1 1— 13;  216,  234. 

Gounod,  Charles  Francois,  “Re¬ 
demption,”  31. 

Graber,  Professor  William  K.,  29. 

Grider,  Rufus  A.,  his  “Historical 
Notes”  quoted,  17,  18,  25. 

Groman,  Edward,  34. 

Guarantors  of  the  Bach  Festivals, 
215-17- 


286 


INDEX 


Halliwell,  Mrs.  Geo.  W.,  214,  215. 

Handel,  Georg  Friedrich,  “Judas 
Maccabasus,”  31. 

Handel  and  Haydn  Society  of  Boston, 
55,  231,  235. 

“Hartford  Daily  Times,”  quoted, 
92,  120,  121. 

Hartt,  Julius,  quoted,  92;  120,  121. 

Hauptmann,  Moritz,  72. 

Haydn,  Joseph,  “Creation”  and 
“Seasons”  had  first  American  ren¬ 
ditions  in  Bethlehem,  17,  19;  Beth¬ 
lehem  Moravians  in  direct  touch 
with,  18;  second  rendition  of 
“Creation,”  1823,  27;  sung  at 
Boarding  School,  28;  “Seasons,” 
27,  30;  sung  by  Oratorio  Society  of 
the  Bethlehems,  31;  sung  by  Beth¬ 
lehem  Choral  Union,  39,  234. 

Henderson,  William  J.,  praise  of 
1901  Bethlehem  Festival,  53;  no¬ 
table  journalistic  reports,  55;  ac¬ 
count  of  the  “Christmas  Oratorio” 
rendition  in  1901,  58-60;  of  the 
1901  “St.  Matthew  Passion,”  61, 
62;  of  the  1901  “B  Minor  Mass,” 
63,  64;  adverse  criticism,  69,  71- 
73;  report  of  the  1915  Festival, 
1 15,  1 16;  sketch  of  “B  Minor 
Mass,”  1 16,  1 1 7;  on  importance  of 
the  Bethlehem  Festivals,  118;  on 
the  1916  Festival,  93,  125,  126; 

1 133,  236. 

Higginson,  Henry  L.,  185;  quoted, 
229. 

Hillman,  Evelyn  Chandler,  45,  46, 
203. 

Hillman,  Ralph  R.,  46,  203,  216. 

Hoch,  Frank  G.,  205,  213. 

“Holy  Cross  Magazine,”  quoted, 
145,  146. 

Howard,  Mary  M.,  quoted,  76. 

Howe,  Dr.  M.  A.  DeWolfe,  quoted, 
92,  185. 

Huff,  A.  C.,  213,  216. 

Humiston,  W.  W.,  quoted,  101,  102. 

Indians  at  Bethlehem,  burial  of 
Tschoop,  6;  withheld  attack,  7; 


joined  in  polyglot  singing,  8; 
learned  to  sing,  8. 

James,  William,  quoted,  38,  44. 

Judson,  Arthur,  quoted,  100,  101. 

Krehbiel,  H.  E.,  his  “Notes  on  the 
Cultivation  of  Choral  Music,” 
quoted,  10;  “Musical  Comment” 
in  “N.Y.  Tribune”  quoted,  16; 
praise  of  1901  Festival,  53;  no¬ 
table  journalistic  reports,  55; 
sketch  of  “Christmas  Oratorio,” 
55,  56;  comment  on  Moravians, 
56;  1901  review,  56-58;  62;  report 
in  London  “Musical  Times,”  65, 
66;  remonstrates  upon  Dr.  Wolle’s 
readings,  71;  further  criticism,  72, 
157- 

Law,  Frederic  S.,  quoted,  61. 

LeBon,  Gust&v,  quoted,  36,  37. 

Lehigh  University,  3,  42,  43,  90;  wel¬ 
comes  reorganized  Bach  Choir,  91; 
scenes  on  campus,  92;  service  of 
university  authorities  in  Festival 
details,  93;  101,  in,  125,  133,  137, 
145,  149,  159,  177,  216,  221,  236. 

Lehigh  Valley  Symphony  Orchestra, 
32,  33,  200. 

Leibert,  Augustus  H.,  28. 

Leibert,  Margaret  Nevins,  42,  81,  86. 

Leibert,  Richard  W.,  34. 

Levering,  Bishop  J.  Mortimer,  trans¬ 
lation  of  hymn  quoted,  5;  “His¬ 
tory  of  Bethlehem”  quoted,  9; 
record  of  Martha  Washington’s 
visit  cited,  12;  quoted,  219. 

Loewe,  Johann  Carl  Gottfried, 
“Seven  Sleepers,”  21,  28,  30. 

Lucas,  Clarence,  quoted  as  to  ideal 
surroundings  of  Bach  Festivals,  92; 
on  the  1913  Festival,  107;  on  the 
1914  Festival,  92,  109;  on  the  1917 
Festival,  143. 

“Magnificat,”  126,  149. 

“Mass  in  B  Minor,”  43,  44;  difficul¬ 
ties  of,  47;  49,  50,  63,  88,  89;  fixed 


287 


INDEX 


as  second-day  programme,  96;  9 7- 
101,  105,  107-109,  1 15;  historical 
background  sketched  by  Mr.  Hen¬ 
derson,  1 16—18;  122,  124,  125,  129, 
131,  135,  136,  138,  142,  149,  153, 
158,  163,  164,  169,  183,  184,  234. 

Mendelssohn-Bartholdy,  Jakob  Lud¬ 
wig  Felix,  “Hymn  of  Praise,”  30; 
“St.  Paul,”  31;  “Elijah,”  40. 

Michael,  David  Moritz,  18,  25,  34. 

Miller,  Christine,  124,  132. 

Moravian  Church  archives,  3,  4,  19, 
21,  23. 

Moravian  College  and  Theological 
Seminary,  177. 

Moravian  Congregation  in  Bethle¬ 
hem,  old  chapel,  22;  used  as  con¬ 
cert  Lhall,  27;  present  church  con¬ 
secrated,  1806,  22;  early  com¬ 
munistic  organization,  219. 

Moravian  love  for  music,  10,  220. 

Moravian  Preparatory  School,  27, 
29,  33,  174-  t 

Moravian  Seminary  and  College  for 
Women,  early  musical  instruction, 
12;  first  boarding-school  in  Amer¬ 
ica,  13;  letters  of  girl  pupil  quoted, 
12-15;  “Journal”  quoted,  15; 
“History  of  Moravian  Seminary” 
quoted,  16;  “Creation”  given 
1855,  28;  proffers  rehearsal  home 
for  reorganized  Bach  Choir,  91; 
advantages  of  Seminary  environ¬ 
ment,  94,  95;  173,  174,  an,  216, 
221. 

Moravian  Trombone  Choir,  trom¬ 
bones  brought  to  Bethlehem,  1754, 
7;  serenade  of  General  Washing¬ 
ton,  n;  50,  57,  141,  145,  163,  221; 
list  of  members,  275. 

Mozart,  Wolfgang  Amadeus,  his  com¬ 
positions  given  in  Bethlehem  be¬ 
fore  1790,  20,  21,  234. 

Murray,  W.  B.,  jr.,  quoted,  132. 

“Musical  America,”  quoted,  100, 
101,  108-n,  131,  132,  142,  163, 
164,  222,  228. 

“Musical  Courier,”  quoted,  92,  102, 
107,  109,  143,  147,  168. 


Musical  instruments  in  Bethlehem, 
earliest  use,  6;  first  spinet,  6; 
organs,  7;  trombones,  7;  Frank¬ 
lin’s  list  of  instruments  at  Bethle¬ 
hem,  9;  played  on  way  to  harvest 
fields,  10;  programmes  of  1752  and 
1782,  11 ;  orchestral  instruments 
used  Christmas,  1787,  15;  guitars 
and  trombones,  1788,  15;  pianos 
and  clavichords,  1792,  16;  orches¬ 
tral  instruments,  1789,  17;  orches¬ 
tra,  1795,  18;  bands  in  Bethlehem, 
34,  35;  200;  list  of  Bach  Festival 
amateur  players,  278. 

“Musical  News,”  quoted,  145,  157, 
158. 

“Musical  Record  and  Review,” 
quoted,  222. 

“Musician,  The,”  quoted,  61. 

Nazareth  Hall,  13. 

Neisser,  George,  12. 

Nevin,  George  B.,  quoted,  145. 

“New  Bedford,  Mass.,  Sunday 
Standard,”  quoted,  222. 

“New  Haven  Gazette  and  the  Con¬ 
necticut  Magazine,”  quoted,  14, 51. 

“New  York  American,”  quoted,  155, 
168. 

“New  York  Evening  Mail,”  quoted, 
167. 

“New  York  Evening  Post,”  quoted, 
1 18,  1 19,  121-24,  138-40,  153,  159, 
160,  165,  166,  185,  186. 

“New  York  Globe,”  quoted,  134, 
140-42,  154,  166. 

“New  York  Herald,”  quoted,  152, 
167. 

“New  York  Sun,”  quoted,  69,  70, 
71-73,  93,  115-18,  155,  167. 

“New  York  Telegraph,”  quoted,  167. 

“New  York  Times,”  quoted,  69-72, 
83-85,  96,  100,  1 14,  155,  156. 

“New  York  Tribune,”  quoted,  16, 
53,  55-58,  62,  71,  72,  157. 

“New  York  World,”  quoted,  134, 
1 54,  155- 

Nicholas,  Clara  T.,  quoted,  152. 

Nitschman,  Rev.  Immanuel,  17,  21. 


288 


INDEX 


Officer,  Father  Harvey,  quoted,  145, 
146. 

Officers  and  Committees  of  the  Beth¬ 
lehem  Bach  Choir,  281,  282. 

Oratorio  Society  of  New  York,  49,  50, 
5L  235.. 

Organization  of  Bach  Choir,  205,  206, 
232. 

“Outlook,”  the,  quoted,  73;  report 
of  1904  Christmas  Festival,  78,  79; 
quoted,  93,  94,  119;  on  the  impor¬ 
tance  of  the  Bethlehem  Festivals, 
135;  on  Mr.  Schwab’s  support, 
192;  on  Lehigh  University’s  serv¬ 
ice,  209. 

Packer  Memorial  Church,  “temple 
for  the  muse  of  Bach,”  92;  141,145. 

Parker,  H.  T.,  report  of  the  1916 
Festival,  128;  quoted,  239. 

Peyser,  Herbert  F.,  his  account  of 
the  1914  Bach  Festival,  108,  109- 
1 1 ;  of  the  1916  Festival,  131,  132; 
of  the  1917  Festival,  142;  on  com¬ 
munity  aspects,  222,  223. 

“Philadelphia  North  American,” 
quoted,  60,  133. 

Philadelphia  Orchestra  players,  100, 
112,  118,  128,  129,  139,  141,  221, 
240;  personnel,  277. 

“Philadelphia  Press,”  quoted,  61, 
120. 

“Philadelphia  Public  Ledger,”  quot¬ 
ed,  85-89,  90,  91,  97-100,  103- 
107,  108,  119,  120,  129,  130,  147, 
148,  182,  183. 

Philharmonic  Society  of  New  York, 
150;  joint  concerts  with  Bethlehem 
Bach  Choir,  1917,  150;  1918,  159; 
164,  190,  191,  272. 

Puritans,  contrast  with  Moravians, 
6,  10,  220. 

Pyrlaeus,  Rev.  J.  C.,  9. 

Quicksall,  Harold  P.,  quoted,  133. 

Range  of  attendance  at  Bethlehem 
Bach  Festival,  103,  104,  1 15,  133, 
135,  143,  I4S- 


Rau,  Dr.  Albert  G.,  quoted,  20,  21; 
23,  33- 

Rheinberger,  Josef,  62,  176,  179. 

Richards,  Dr.  J.  W.,  188,  214,  216. 

Ritter,  Dr.  F.  L.,  his  “Music  in 
America”  quoted,  10. 

Roemer,  Hans,  32. 

Roepper,  William  T.,  28. 

Romberg,  “Lay  of  the  Bell,”  28. 

Rossini,  Gioachino  Antonio,  “Stabat 
Mater,”  30. 

“St.  John  Passion,”  42,  83,  89,  114, 
1 17,  126,  180,  234,  242. 

“St.  Matthew  Passion,”  42,  58,  60, 
62,  89,  1 1 7,  125,  235,  240,  242. 

Saint-Saens,  Camille,  “Noel,”  30. 

Samuels,  David  G.,  31,  32. 

Sanborn,  Pitts,  review  of  the  1917 
Festival,  134,  140-42;  report  on 
the  1917  N.Y.  concert,  154. 

Schumann,  Robert,  “Paradise  and 
the  Peri,”  30. 

Schwab,  Charles  M.,  and  the  Bach 
Choir,  188;  greetings  from  singers, 
189;  Mr.  Schwab’s  reply,  189; 
makes  possible  Choir’s  trips  to 
New  York,  190,  191;  support  of 
Bach  Festivals,  192;  comment  of 
the  “Outlook”  and  of  Mr.  Finck, 
192,  193;  Mr.  Schwab’s  principle 
of  giving  with  citizens,  193;  his 
life-long  love  of  music,  195;  his 
plans  for  the  City  of  Bethlehem, 
200;  other  references,  32-35,  90, 
91,  148,  150,  152,  161,  162. 

Shields,  T.  Edgar,  founded  Oratorio 
Society  of  [the  Bethlehems,  1907, 
31;  conductor  of  Bass  Clef  Club, 
32;  praise  of  his  organ  accompani¬ 
ment  at  Bach  Festivals,  III,  141; 
205;  sketch  of,  212,  221. 

Shimer,  Milton  J.,  46,  203,  205,  211, 
216. 

Singers  of  Bach  Choir,  lists  of,  245-64. 

Smith,  Nina  Pugh,  quoted,  82,  83. 

Snyder,  Henry  S.,  213. 

Sociological  aspects  of  Bethlehem’s 
musical  history,  36-38. 


289 


INDEX 


Soloists  of  the  Bach  Festivals,  272-74. 

Spalding,  Albert,  quoted,  228. 

Spitta,  Julius  August  Philipp,  biog¬ 
rapher  of  Bach,  42. 

Spohr,  Louis,  “Last  Judgment,”  30. 

Stanley,  Prof.  A.  A.,  quoted,  66. 

Stokowski,  Leopold,  133,  240. 

Stransky,  Dr.  Josef,  152,  164,  1 66, 
190. 

Suggestions  from  Bethlehem  Bach 
Choir  experience,  230. 

Sun  Inn,  24. 

Tapper,  Thomas,  quoted,  222. 

Tarde,  Gabriel,  quoted,  37. 

Thaeler,  Rev.  A.  D.,  quoted,  225. 

Thomas,  Theodore,  55;  tribute  to 
Dr.  Wolle,  187. 

Thunder,  Henry  Gordon,  quoted, 
60. 

Tittmann,  Charles  Trowbridge, 
124,  127,  13 1,  142,  149. 

Toronto  Choir,  118. 

JJnitas  Fratrum,  first  hymn-book, 
1 50S,  5- 

United  States  Army  Ambulance 
Concert,  168,  169,  170,  272. 

University  of  California,  89,  90. 

Van  Vleck,  Jacob,  12. 

Villard,  Oswald  Garrison,  133,  190. 

Voght,  Dr.,  1 18. 

Waldo,  Fullerton  L.,  quoted  as  to 
Mr.  Schwab’s  help,  90,  91;  his  re¬ 
port  on  the  1912  Festival,  97-100; 
on  the  1913  Festival,  103-07;  com¬ 
ment  on  solos  sung  by  chorus  at 
1914  Festival,  108;  on  the  1915 
Festival,  1 19,  120;  on  the  1916  Fes¬ 
tival,  129;  urges  more  rehearsals 
with  orchestra,  129,  130;  on  the 
spirit  of  the  Bach  Choir,  147,  148; 
on  Dr.  Wolle’s  conducting,  182. 

Walker,  Julian  P.,  78,  81,  82,  85, 
87,  89. 

Walters,  Raymond,  21,  102,  148,  157, 
158,  214,  216. 


Warren,  Samuel  P.,  43. 

Washington,  General,  entertained 
with  music  in  Bethlehem,  1782,  II, 
24.  _ 

Washington,  Martha,  attended  serv¬ 
ice  in  Bethlehem,  1779,  12. 

Watts,  Harvey  M.,  quoted,  61. 

Weingartner,  Andrew  M.,  32,  33. 

Weiss,  Jedediah,  18,  19,  171. 

Westmann,  J.  E.,  9. 

Wiegner,  Howard  J.,  46,  78,  82,  87, 
204. 

Wilbur,  Warren  A.,  guarantor  of 
Lehigh  Valley  Symphony  Orches¬ 
tra,  32,  33;  sketch  of,  210,  216. 

Wolle,  Rev.  Francis,  172,  173. 

Wolle,  Dr.  J.  Fred,  ancestry,  17 1, 
172;  boyhood,  173;  his  youth,  174, 
175;  his  study  in  Munich  under 
Rheinberger,  176;  as  an  organist, 
176,  177;  conducted  Bethlehem 
Choral  Union,  1882-1892,  178; 
Bach  Choir,  1900-1905,  1912-1918; 
head  of  Department  of  Music, 
University  of  California,  1905- 
1911,  178;  his  first  acquaintance 
with  Bach,  179;  thirty  years  of 
study,  playing,  directing  and 
preaching  of  Bach,  180;  his  inter¬ 
esting  system  of  instructing  a 
chorus,  47-48,  180,  1 8 1 ;  descrip¬ 
tion  of  his  conducting,  by  Fuller¬ 
ton  L.  Waldo,  182;  his  interpreta¬ 
tion  of  Bach,  183-85;  criticism,  185; 
defense  by  Mr.  Finck,  185,  186;  tri¬ 
bute  of  Theodore  Thomas,  187; 
other  leading  references,  30,  36- 
38,  43,  47,  48,  50,  58,  64,  71,  72, 
75,76,  79,  86,90,  98,  102,  1 12,  1 18, 
119,  123,  127,  131,  136,  141,  144, 
148,  153,  155,  156,  159,  166,  224, 
226,  231,  238,  240. 

Wood,  Dr.  David,  175,  179. 

Works  rendered  by  Bethlehem  Bach 
Choir,  list  of,  265-72. 

Zerweck,  Clinton  F.,  46,  204. 

Zinzendorf,  Count  Nicholas  Louis, 
4,  5,  36. 


(£be  ftiberli&e 

CAMBRIDGE  .  MASSACHUSETTS 


U  .  S  .  A 


. 


* 


Date  Due 


